Ruby's Rhapsody
by DayDream64
Summary: A story in 3 acts of how the Rookies who helped saved the day with the famed Blue Blur in the War Against Eggman have now have become his most fearsome, elite squadron: Team Ruby. Story starts a few weeks after the events of Sonic Forces. Some minor darker themes such as depression, corruption and betrayal. Act I: Ruby's Requiem Act II: Ruby's Reprise Act III: Ruby's Resurgence
1. Act I: Ruby's Requiem

Hi everyone! Sorry it's taken me so long to post something on here again. The past 2 years have been really intense in terms of my mental health and lot of personal drama. But now, with the really kind support for my friends I was able to pull through. I worked on this in late 2019 and I'm really happy with how it came out. First time writing something that's a multi-chapter story, so fingers crossed! Anyway, thank you for the kind patience and I really hope you enjoy!

* * *

_Control_

"…..." a female stirred in her bed.

_Power_

"…..." she started to twist and turn in her bed. These nightmares…this voice….

_Freedom_

"Nnnghh" she groaned. …this red haze. It was all her mind was filled with these days. The red static distortion, how it seemed to call and corrupt everything. It reminded her of…no it couldn't be.

_This is your_ _**destiny.**_  
Flashes of the world in chaos and ruins filled her mind. A maniacal laugh could be heard, but it wasn't the villainous doctor; it was actually feminine. Clouds of smoke and dust covered the figure in question's silhouette but there was something very familiar about the jester-like figure.

"Ah!" she sat up abruptly in bed, breathing heavily, her bright teal blue eyes wide, in shock and pain. She swallowed: her throat incredibly dry from the night terror she just had and took a deep breath. She slowly calmed herself down, "It's ok…I'm ok…it's…all a dream." She took another breath and looked over at her alarm clock on the nightstand: 8:15 AM. "Great," she sighed. Not only did she have an awful night, she was up way earlier than she'd have liked. The pink hedgehog ran a tired hand through her short, but curvy quills. Deciding that going back to sleep definitely not an option at this point, she went to the shower, maybe it'd help her relax.

* * *

The warm water was admittedly doing wonders for her mind; she really needed this. She could finally start to think about the nightmare, and wonder about things, now that her headspace was in a more relaxed place. 'Hm,' she thought, growing more concerned, 'These episodes, they've been getting more frequent. I…don't like this at all.' The nightmares have been steadily increasing over the course of the past few months. At first, it was rare, and it startled her, but now they were almost every night and she's become afraid of the increased occurrences. 'I haven't felt like this since…he's been in my head. But that was so long ago, why now?' she shuttered.

It's been months, nearly a year now since the power hungry, ego-driven jackal had messed with her mind; filling her head with illusions and visions to feed on fear. She felt so powerless, so helpless, so weak against his assault on her psyche. She thought that after teaming up with the fabled Blue Hero of the Resistance, she'd be able to conquer that trauma, and she did, for a while at least. "I feel the same way as I did before," she closed her eyes as the water continued to cascade on her, "but it's a little different. It's almost like…" she stopped herself from going further with that train of thought once she found herself voicing her thoughts aloud. "…I'll put a mental note on this."

* * *

She wrapped a towel around herself and dried her quills as she walked to her bedroom again. She opened up the closest door and looked over her outfits. She hummed playfully, "Something casual today would be nice~" she giggled in a sing-song tone as she pulled out a lavender sundress, trying to spring back into her usual chipper tone. As her hand took the dress out, she caught eye of the costume she wore while she fought along her partners and friends. Her mind flashed to the two who helped her the most take down that darkness from the evil tyrannical dictator and edgy illusionist: the aforementioned Hero, and her closest and most trusted friend, Bass. She set the sundress on the bed for a few moments as she began to pull out the costume; her thoughts reminiscing.

The jesteress costume hasn't aged a day. The white sleeves and main tunic were still white like snow, the pink boots and vest in the same shade as fresh tulips, the striking orange frilly collar, the large, glistening, ruby-like gem in the middle of the chest, and the still vibrant royal purple leggings and headpiece. From one of its pockets she dug out a purple clown nose and honked it: yeup, still silly. It was a mishmash of colors and a little chaotic if she was going to be honest with her herself, but a part of her loved that about it: the chaos of it.

_If only that gem was the Ruby. Imagine the__** fun**__ and __**chaos **__we could have with it~_

Her mind froze, the voice from her dream. It…talked to her, now, while she's awake. "I think I'm going crazy."

_Or, y'know, saner~_

She whipped her head around as if there's was a tangible source for it but found herself perturbed and frustrated. The main vocalization and manifestation of her nightmares just graduated to the daytime shift, out of her subconscious to her active mind. And worst of all, it seemed to bring up things she had dead last on the list of topics she wanted to think about: like the Ruby. That stupid Ruby was the entire reason everything went to Hell in the first place. Why would she even want to consider using it? That stupidly overpowered gem was how the Mad Doctor rose to conquer 90% of the world. She shook her head placed her old costume back into the closest and got dressed; she wouldn't let the rest of the today be affected by this.

* * *

The pink hedgehog yawned as she served herself some breakfast. She filled up a bowl of Blueberry Power Ring Crunch brand cereal, poured milk into it and happily munched on her sugar-filled meal. She always had a sweet tooth, particularly for fruity stuff, so this was the perfect comfort she needed at the moment. As she was happily digging in, she got a call on her communicator. 'Funny,' she smirked going over to pick up the small yellow device, 'almost no one calls me on this anymore, save for an emergency or….'

She turned on the device and an upbeat young man's voice came over the com-line. "Shirina!"

She could barely contain her giggles and grin '…yeup! Called it~' She then spoke aloud to him, "Well, nice to hear from ya Bass~ Been wondering where ya been."

She could hear him cough a little awkwardly. "Well, uh, y'know been in the Resistance's headquarters. Been helping around with some stuff, even if our lead mechanic doesn't always see eye to eye with me," he grumbled that last part. Shirina chuckled at his minor frustration as the last few months he's gotten into a bit of a friendly rivalry with the tech-wiz Miles Prower, or as everyone called him, Tails.

She stuck her tongue out, even though she was sure he couldn't see her, "Well, things must be going well if you two can still be productive despite the differences~"

He let out a laugh at that; Shirina adored that sound. "Well, either way, I think it's overdue that I took a bit of a break and it's been what, nearly a month since I last saw ya?"

She felt a pang of guilt hearing that. While it's true she left the Resistance at the end of saving the day, she just felt she wasn't needed, and she earned some rest. The Blue Blur himself did too, and he was held captive for sixth months, which to be fair was probably why he needed to explore the world the bit on his own.

_Also, because you didn't belong~_

'Shut it, of course I did. They're my friends,' she snapped internally at the meddlesome thought.

"Shirina, you there?" Bass asked, concern evident in his tone. It wasn't like her to get quiet.

She snapped out of it and forced a smile back on, "Yeah, sorry. Got busy thinking about the good times. Lost my train of thought."

"Missed me that much? ~" his voice practically oozing smugness.

'More than you know,' a blush crept up on her cheeks, "Well, of course I miss my best friend." It was a half-truth, she wasn't ready to admit her full feelings to him.

"Awh, you spoil me. I'll be over around noon then." She glanced at the time, and there was still around two hours till then.

"Sure, sounds solid."

"Awesome. Can't wait till then. See ya~" The com-link shut off and she found herself giggling with the goofiest grin.

'Maybe today won't be so bad after all.'

* * *

Shirina was dozing off on her couch. She originally sat down to watch some shows on the few channels that were starting back up after the destruction of most of the satellites and communication tours during the War. But thanks to her lack of well rest, the program just lulled her for a quick nap. Unfortunately, the red static appeared again in her dreams, clouding every thought.

_Why fight this, fight your true nature?_

'What are you talking about?'

_It wounds me you don't recognize my voice. Maybe you know and you're just in denial~_

'I-I don't. Just please, leave me alone, get out of my head!'

_I was always apart of you. I've just been __**unleashed~**_

'Wha-' her thoughts were cut short as the doorbell rang, waking her from her haze. She groaned lightly as she stood and stretched, opening the door to her visitor.

"12:00 on the dot~" the red hedgehog in front of her grinned wildly.

"It's great to see you too Bass."

* * *

After letting him in and getting the coffee pot and kettle ready, serving coffee for him and a nice warm cup of tea for herself, they sat down on the couch, close next to each other.

"So how's Miss Heroine of the Resistance been since the last I saw her? ~ "he chuckled, loving to tease her about her role in taking down the Egg Empire.

She blushed and giggled, letting a honk slip out, which in turn made her blush harder. Honking while laughing or being in a good mood had been a bit of a habit she began to pick up while donning her jester outfit. She looked a little embarrassed and Bass took notice.

He reassuringly put his hand on top of hers, "Hey, don't be shy about it. I think it's kinda cute~"

She was almost as red as he was by this point averting direct eye contact, well direct eye to sunglasses contact in his case. She did take a glance at his outfit now that he was closer; it was the same one he wore when they met in the rebel base. He looked very similar to certain yellow t-shirt wearing, green sunglassed, black jeaned graffiti artist, minus the headphones. His spikey front hair made it hard to keep them steady.

A few moments of awkward silence rang between the pair, but it wasn't unpleasant. They enjoyed each other's companies, but there was an unsaid question that hung in the air. Wanting to move on past this, Bass coughed and took his hand off hers. "Well, how have you been?"

She bit her lip, 'Do I tell him?' she began to think, 'He's my best friend in the world, but, what if…he becomes scared of me after I tell him about my episodes.'

_If he did love you, he'd accept you for who you are. And if he doesn't,__** we can make him~**_

She was actually starting to agree with the voice, up until the second half of that statement. Yeah, no, listening to that impulse would only make things worse. She swallowed her thoughts and threw on a smile, "I've been good. Y'know, resting, taking a bit of relaxation."

"That's good," he seemed to ease up hearing that, but he knew very well; something wasn't right. But out of respect and love for her, he decided not to press it. "Not finding it any boring?"

She let out a tired laugh. "Oh yeah. Sometimes it's hard keeping myself busy."

"Well, maybe you could come back with me back to Base. We all miss you up there y'know? Amy asks about how've ya been."

"It's ok Bass. Really. Besides I felt like I…" she paused her expression became unsettled. '…because I didn't belong.'

_You see? I was right~ They may be your friends but you're not a part of their group. You're made to be something more~_

"Felt like what?" She shook her head, hearing his voice. "Shirina, you felt like what?"

She masked on a smile, albeit a more melancholic one, "-erm. Like I'd go stir crazy on base. I mean half the time is just waiting around there, hoping to get called on some kind of missions to help people out, right? N'ah that, really isn't my style. I'd rather help in my own way, on my own terms."

Bass couldn't help but grin at her honesty and took off his glasses to look her directly in the eyes: his emerald ones meeting hers. "I love that about ya. You tend to speak with your heart and don't want to compromise your happiness."

She turned red again hearing him, incredibly flustered. The young man's voice, his tone, it just…helped her forget her troubles. "Well, I'm happy I have you around, Mister M.C.~" He laughed at the little nods and pokes she had towards his musician hobby and the conversation continued for a few more hours into the night, both grateful for having the other around.

* * *

Shirina really didn't want him to leave tonight, but duty called, and he had to catch the last metro back to headquarters.

"You know, you're always welcomed there, with me and the others, right?"

"Yeah, I know, I'll see if I can visit sometime ok?"

"I'll hold you to that~" he flashed a grin before waving goodbye.

She closed the door and sighed happily. She made her way back to her bedroom to rest and relax for the night, at least hoping she could get some rest. Unfortunately for her, the nightmares and images were just more violent now than they were before. But she felt something else too, something weak in the background but now, it was at the forefront of the dream: _**something **_was calling to her.

The red static, it…felt calming. It felt warm and pleasurable almost. Like she could get lost in it. But frankly, this was the part of her current dream that scared the most: the fact she wasn't scared at all.

_Good you're finally opening up to it._ _**Let it in~**_

'N-no, stop it. Y-you're just making me feel this way!'

_The only person you're fooling here is yourself. Just give it a small taste, a small tap into your full potential~_

The red static seemed to surround her, but she's calm, she feels…better than she did before. She saw the jester silhouette in the near distance, mimicking her actions. The pink hedgehog cautiously walked towards it and reached out, the shadow doing the same. Slowly, delicately, the young woman reached out to touch the dark figure. She could feel its warmth as she drew her hand closer and closer, inch by inch until their fingertips touched. As soon as contact was made, the poor girl was assaulted by a torrent of visions, auditory illusions and the red haze: it was overwhelming. Once her senses adjusted to the overload, she'd see him, the horrible man who haunted her in the first place, the man who betrayed his own band of bandits for bloodlust.

"Infinite…" she spoke with a shaky voice. The floating figure hovered slightly above her, looking down, seeming bored with this conversation despite just being here. "Y-you can't be real! This is just another one of your messed-up illusions! I defeated you!" For a while, the masked jackal stares silently at her. This unnerved her, Infinite was much more unreserved with his emotions and outbursts. He however descended slowly and walked towards her. She wanted to run. She wanted to leave whatever Hell she stepped into but couldn't find herself be able to move. Her body wouldn't listen to her, she was frozen. That's when her tormentor did something unexpected: he gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

She moved her head to stare at his hand and back to him, her expression become one of shock and confusion. She looked at his masked face, expected to see rage or hatred, but she only saw…acceptance. He spoke, his voice, for the first time she'd ever known the man, was soft, "You didn't beat me. You **succeeded **me." Before she could respond his body, vanished into the static, fading away.

"Succeeded? Me? What do you-" her heart stopped as she viewed at hand. It was in a metallic black spiky glove; his metallic spiky black glove. She looked at her body and she was in Infinite's costume. She reached to touch her face she confirmed her worst fears to be true: she was wearing his mask. She let out a blood-curdling scream as a final vision appeared before her. The insignia of the Egg Empire burning before her as from the fire emerged the Doctor himself.

"Come find me~" he teased as he let out his signature demented laugh.

She jolted up in bed, breathing incredibly hard and heavy, trying to calm herself down from the terror. _"Come find me~" _the evil Egg Emperor mocked her.

'But,' she was trying to get her bearings, 'does that mean he's alive? He disappeared when he vanished with the Ruby in his Death Egg Robot. I-is he the one behind my nightmares?' she glanced at the time: 11:37AM. 'Well I slept long enough I guess.' She sat quietly, letting everything process for a few moments. She finally let out a large huff before going to her closest to dig out her jester outfit. "Well, I might as well start looking for answers anyway," her voice determined to get to the bottom of this.

* * *

She had a bittersweet smile on when she stepped into the Resistance Headquarters. It seemed like a lifetime ago since her adventure. Shirina, feeling a little playful, knocked on the opened door frame. "Anyone home? ~"

A slightly darker pink furred hedgehog in a red sleeveless dress with white trims and cuffs turned around at the voice. A look of surprise was quickly replaced by a large beaming grin. "Shirina!" she rushed over to give the jester girl a hug.

"Hey Amy, it's been a while," she hugged back.

"Sure has. We missed you."

"Oh?" the jesteress tilted her head.

"Yeah, we would've visited you personally rather than just the occasional com-link chat, but y'know, it's been a bit of a handful trying to get things back to normal again."

"I didn't know. I would've thought you had more than enough support from the troops and your leader."

Amy laughed lightly, her tone being a little more somber however, "Well, after the battle against Infinite and the Death Egg Robot, many of the Resistance well, decided to go back to their lives. The War was over, and we couldn't obligate them to stay. I mean it also didn't help that two out of the three main heroes of the battle kinda went off to explore the world." Shirina stood silent at this; she felt a little guilty now. Of course, people would leave due to a lack of morale if she left.

_But they aren't your responsibility._

Before she could respond, Amy spoke again, "And as for our leader, he went back to Angel Island. Said that he's been far too long away from the Master Emerald, but that he'd come back if there was any major trouble." Shirina nodded, it made sense for Knuckles to go back home. He had his duty to be the guardian of the most powerful relic of the world.

_Second most~_

'Shush. I don't even know if the Ruby is still around: It disappeared.'

_We wouldn't be having this conversation if that were the case~_

She groaned internally; 'Remind yourself why you're here.' She noticed Amy was walking away to her desk, talking about the usual day to day errands. She took a deep breath and mustered up the courage to speak up, "Hey, uh Amy."

The other hedgehog turned around to look at her clownish friend, "Hm? Everything ok?"

"I… I think I found **him**."

"Him, what do you…"

"Amy, it's _**him**_." Silence filled the room as tension rose, both unsure of what to say next.

"…H-how do you know? He's been quiet for months. And if he was going to make some kind of return it'd be really flamboyant and flashy."

"I-I don't know how. But I-I," she paused. Should she tell Amy the whole truth? About her visions and nightmares? She looked at the concerned young woman and figured a half-truth would be enough for now. "I have this feeling. Almost like a premonition. I haven't felt like this since Infinite messed with my head, since I held the Ruby's prototype."

Amy exhaled defeatedly and sat at her desk, closing her eyes in thought. "Our forces are thin right now Shirina. We really can't, expend anyone else for a feeling."

_She doesn't believe you~_

She shoved that meddlesome thought to the back of her mind for the moment, but its words stung. "A-Amy, I know things are though right now, but I have a really bad feeling about this. You don't even need to send a squad, just me and Bass would be enough."

"Bass isn't here right now. He's on a relief mission helping send supplies to one of the destroyed villages near the outskirts of Empire City. May be a few days before he's back here, if you wanna wait for him."

'But I need these answers **now!**' she mentally pleaded. "Then just send me."

Amy's eyes went wide, "No. Shirina, it's extremely dangerous and reckless to send someone alone on a mission. Especially if you're going to find our biggest enemy."

Shirina was backed into a corner; she was out of options.

_Come on, don't give up now when we're so __**close~**__ Use some of that good ol' jester charm~_

Shirina knew she shouldn't have listened to that voice, but she was desperate. "Amy," she began, "It's not like we haven't done solo missions before. You and Knuckles sent me on a few during the War."

"But that was out of necessity."

"And we have even less troops now! Amy, the battle's finished, we don't need waste any more resources than we already have. Besides, it's just a feeling, I'll probably find nothing. It's nothing more than just a routine scouting mission."

"Shirina…" there was hesitation in the current commander's voice.

_She doesn't __**trust**__ you~_

She wanted to strangle that stupid tone. It knew exactly how to hit her emotional weak points. She walked closer to Ms. Rose and put her hands on hers, and with pleading eyes practically begged, "Please."

Amy let out a defeated huff, "Well looks like I can't convince you otherwise, so fine. You're allowed to go." Shirina practically glowed with happiness. Amy opened the drawer to the desk and took out a blue com device. She handed it to her jester friend, "Here. This is a special private line used by me, Tails, Knuckles, and the important officers. And before you ask, yes, even our favorite Blue Boy," she smiled. Shirina looked at the com; this was incredibly important. "If anything goes wrong or if you find him, please, don't hesitate to contact us."

The jesteress grinned and saluted, "Won't let you down, Commander~"

* * *

The next few days were cathartic and therapeutic for Shirina. Being out in the world again, exploring the lands, it was exhilarating. "Man, I didn't just how stir-crazy I was." She giggled and honked as she slid down the slopes of the lush countryside.

_See, freedom and doing whatever we want is where we're at our greatest~_

She rolled her eyes and reluctantly agreed; this was the best she felt in months. Answering to no one, tossing aside responsibility, just…being herself was amazing. She followed this new instinct she had across the terrain; she couldn't quite explain it. It was like she now had a radar, a growing intuition that was getting stronger; she was getting close to finding him. 'Well I better hurry up soon, I haven't been this north before. It's getting cold.'

The Northamer region had a lot of unmarked zones and wild terrains the closer it got to its border with Artika. She ran through the natural corkscrews and loops, trying to get to higher ground for an outlook. Finally, on a higher platform, she took a moment to catch her breath. She surveyed the area, using her hand to shield some of the more direct sunlight. The lush green plains and hills, twisting and turning around the turquoise lakes and rivers was truly a natural beauty. She furrowed her brow, 'This is the complete opposite of what the evil emperor looks for in a location. Why in Infrit's name would he be anywhere around here?!' She let out a frustrated sigh. But as to answer her doubt, she felt a strong wave of…well she couldn't quite put her finger on it. It wasn't discomfort, it wasn't pain, but rather this force, this pressure that made her take another look at the landscape. She looked again an in the distance, she saw something shine; it was something metallic. 'There he is.'

She quickly rolled and slid down the slopes to reach her destination. As she ran, the shine that it reflected seemed to guide her. It slowly came into focus the closer she got nearer, the force in her body getting stronger, driving every part of her being to get to what she suspected, was an outpost. The feeling that was taking hold of body slowly died down and she slowed her pace, winding down to a careful walk as she eyed the exterior. It was a large vibrant metallic silver building that easily was the size of the Resistance's HQ. While not one of his bigger projects, especially compared to the Egg Carrier and Death Egg, it still was a wonder to behold how he could manage to build this in secrecy and in such a short timeframe. 'Seriously, **where **does he even get the money for this?'

She took a glance at her com-link and wondered if she should call in the others now, but something told her that it wasn't the best move. "I mean, just because I found an outpost center, it doesn't mean he's in there. Could be abandoned for all I know," she reasoned.

_We both know that's not true~ You just don't want the others to interrupt your time with getting answers~_

She hated the fact that the inner voice knew where her honest and true intentions lied.

_Not so noble for a heroine, are ya?~_

"Quiet, I'll need to be on my tip-top mental shape if I wanna talk to the Doc."

_Suit yourself~_

She rolled her eyes and took a steady breath, opening the door to the base. Odd…it was unlocked. She cautiously made her way in, the large door closing behind her. She glanced at the neon red glow the lights emanated, bathing everything in a crimson hue. "Well, ominous red lighting goes hand in hand with his lack of subtlety." She honked and giggled to herself as she went down the corridors. 'Strange,' she thought, 'I'm pretty sure he would've had bots and security running around. Seems misguided and arrogant on his behalf.'

Her mind flashed back to her dream, "Come find me~"

She paused walking for a moment. 'T-there's no way, is there? He can't be…'

…_waiting for me~_

Shirina realizes she may have walked into a trap; she panics for a few moments before reminding herself that she did in fact beat him once before. 'Plus, there's also the com-link if things go south,' she reassured. She continued to walk down the eerily empty corridors and halls before coming to a large red and yellow door that door his likeness. The intuition that died down earlier had a massive spike and she could feel herself being drawn to whatever was behind that door. Shirina took a few more steps as the "mouth" of the door opened up and allowed access into the room.

She moved carefully forward into the room, it being much darker than the rest of the complex, as the mouth closed behind her. She began to regret her decision until light enveloped the room, and there he was, in all his glory. The large, bald, mustachioed man sat in a large silver chair, much like a throne. The man in peak condition health wise; he was even wearing his usual red and black attire. His deep blue glasses, while never revealing his eyes, stared evilly and wickedly at her. His hands were clasped together, one leg over the other. "Shirina," his tone, unnervingly playful, "I've been expecting you."

She could only gawk in disbelief at him and quietly uttered his name, "Eggman."

* * *

The two stared at each other in silence; the smirk never left his face. She finally broke the silence, "So, you're alive."

He laughed his signature cackle, "Ohohoho! I'm very much in good spirits. I'm afraid the same can't be said for you~" he twirled his moustache lightly.

"How could have possibly known that?" her tone, a little more irritated than she wanted it to sound.

"Because, my dear hedgehog, it's pretty obvious. You're acting a little off since the last time we battled."

She sighed and gritted her teeth, was she really **that **out of it? Shirina coughed and looked at Eggman again, "Well, regardless of that, I'm surprised you've been able to stay low all this time."

The man laughed again, "Oh, well, I've got to be a lot more careful this time. If I just went ahead and enacted my grandiose return, I'd get nowhere fast. So, for the time being, I'm rebuilding in the shadows."

She saw that Eggman had learned from his past defeat and is a little more calculative this time. He'd always been a genius when it came to robotics; practical planning, however, was not one of his strong suits. "Well then, guess I came at the right time. I'm taking you back to Resistance HQ."

The mad dictator tilted his head, "Oh? What for? I haven't done anything yet."

"You need to answer for your crimes during the War **you **started," she glared.

"Oh, come now," he stood up and paced around, "Everyone commits morally unjust acts during the battle. That's the nature of war."

"Still, my mission was to scout to see if you were around and you in fact are. I'm putting you under arrest."

"I mean sure, go ahead, but that wasn't the reason why you came here…isn't it? ~"

She froze; how could he have known? "How on Earth could you possibly know that?"

"That look in your eyes," he sneered, "It isn't the look of someone looking for justice or saving the day. It's the same look Infinite had; one of needing something **more.** One that's looking for answers and bored with the usual day to day."

Shirina felt completely conflicted; he just read her like a book. She was torn between her duty to her friends and cause and her own desire to see what the doctor had planned.

Well, we can see what he wants. And if we're not satisfied with him, we can call our friends via the com-link~

'Seems a little underhanded, but I guess we gotta out cheat the cheater,' she convinced herself. "Alright, Eggman, I'm not entirely unreasonable and from your words, you're hiding something. So, what is it that you want me to see?

The doctor grinned and bowed theatrically bowed, "Follow me."

* * *

Shirina followed the man down the hall; it looked more like a lab with its white led walls and cleaner appearance. Small service bots would be patrolling around, cleaning and performing basic maintenance. 'I'm guessing this is where he spends most of his time then.' She continued to silently follow him down the corridors, taking a few turns before heading what she could only assume was the back of the lab area. A large locked door stood before them and that force inside her spiked again upon seeing the room. Eggman punched in a code and scanned his hand (albeit gloved, which was a little perplexing) to have the door make a series of sounds as it unlocked. He opened the door to let her walk in before him to which she hesitantly walked on forward. The aura in the room was familiar; it felt like her dream. The doctor walked behind her; a massive smile plastered on his face. She continued to march onward in the darkened room as the lights turned on and the ground began to whir. The central station began to open up, allowing for a platform containing a large tube to rise. A red magenta glow began to seep into the room as it rose and Shirina's eyes became fixated as she instantly recognized that energy.

"Surprised?" Eggman said with a rather energetic tone, "Behold, for I have reclaimed…"

she said in almost a whisper, finishing his sentence. "…the Phantom Ruby." Shirina carefully inched to the tube, the radiant crimson gem glistening and floating in the middle of it. She placed her hand on the glass and the Phantom Ruby's glow seemed to only intensify and react to her.

"It's calling to you," Eggman smirked.

"H-how? Like, how is this back? I-It vanished into thin air along with you."

"Well, I won't bore you with the details," the man stroked his chin, "but essentially, after our final encounter, the Phantom Ruby's dimensional distortion placed me in an unknown village. Either due to the head trauma or the Ruby's influence, I really can't say, I had little to no recollection of who I was. And well there I stayed for about two months or so, being the local village handyman as I was really the only one who knew his way with a tool kit. Mr. Tinker is what they called me." The man chuckled, recalling the short time he spent as an actual decent human being.

"However, something peculiar happened one morning," he continued, "as I fixing and upgrading the local play area for the children, they came running towards me, telling me about a strange glowing gem that made them feel scared in its presence. I wanted to protect the kids and told them to stay put in the village and instructed them to tell me where this relic was. They pointed me towards a flower patch near the wooded area in the villager's outskirts and there I went. When my eyes gazed upon the Phantom Ruby, I felt a sense of…longing, completion, desire. It took it into my hands and it soon filled my head with visions of the man I was, the deeds I done, what my role really was and how I lost it to begin with. I soon left the village after that, citing that it was nothing personal, but I regained some of my memory and needed answers, which admittedly is almost true. I had a long arduous journey to find one of my old outposts that wasn't ramshackled by the meddlesome Rebellion. I found this location and began to plan, to build, slowly and in the shadows, waiting for the perfect day to make my brilliant return. But I never imagined fate would've been so kind to send you my way~"

"Send me your way?" Shirina's tone was enveloped in disgust, "Why would I be sent to you?"

"Simple really. Infinite was never meant to be my greatest creation. He wasn't supposed to be the true bearer of the Phantom Ruby. It was you; it was always you."

His words struck a few chords as everything made sense to her. This sent Shirina in a whirlwind of emotion: mostly denial. "You're wrong!" she screamed at him. "You're lying! This is all a trap, a scheme to control me!"

"Please, all I want is for you to be set free. To realize your true potential. Why do you think you could withstand Infinite's influence and not be overwhelmed by his illusions? Why do you think you could use my own faulty prototype copy of the Phantom Ruby with ease; to the point you shattered my illusion of the Sun crashing down on the army?"

"Shut up! Shut up!" she cried, holding her head and pulling on her jester hat's tails.

"Shirina, open your eyes. The Ruby, it calls to you, it's **bonded **to you. You could pull amazing feats with only a mere replica. Imagine what you could do with its full power. You're its rightful mistress; you're just denying your destiny."

"P-please…stop." She practically crying now, the visions and voice in her head getting louder more dominant. She was slipping further and further into a crimson abyss, desperately trying to hold on. But what was terrifying is that she wanted to let go, to fall into the abyss of darkness consuming her, it felt…right.

"And why should I?" Eggman smiled wickedly, she was shattering and succumbing to her inner darkness. He doubled down on her, "Don't tell me…you're afraid, aren't you?" She stopped crying to look at him with pained eyes. "You're supposed to be the Heroine of the Resistance, right? A light of hope in the darkness that I created. Morally righteous, an upstanding citizen, responsible and proper: a model to all the fighters in the war. But that isn't you, is it?" He was beaming evilly, as if everything went according to his plan. Shirina stood in silence, eyes still wet with tears; her expression in complete distress. This was the hardest battle she had to face, and it was herself. Eggman chuckled, "Well there's no need to be afraid anymore. All these negative thoughts and fears can be silenced…" he pressed a button on the control panel behind him and the glass surrounding the Phantom Ruby retracted into the ceiling. It was now exposed, out in the open as its glow seem to get brighter. "…you just have to let go~"

_Do it, you know you want to~_

_Give in, why fight this? ~_

_He's right, this is our destiny~_

In a daze, she staggered to the gem. 'No, please, come on! We can still get out of this. It doesn't have to be this way!' a part of her mind shrilled in agony, but Shirina kept on moving her body giving into the more malicious voices and the Ruby's influence. Her hand creeped up to the glowing gemstone and pressed the palm of her hand onto it. Her entire world became filled with the red static.

* * *

Shirina groans as she finally comes to. She stands up and looks around her; the world is enveloped in the crimson haze. 'Great, I'm in a dream again.' She marches onwards, trying to find a way out of the labyrinth of illusion until she comes upon a wall of distortion. As she gets closer to it, she can see the silhouette from a few dreams ago. The shadowy jester figure waves and bows. "Hello Shirina," it's voice still obviously feminine but the distortion made it harder for her to guess who it was. The pink hedgehog had an idea, an unpleasant one, about the figure's identity.

"What do you want?" she seethed. She honestly just wanted this to end.

"Same thing as you, to stop this pain, stop this fear, stop all the trouble," it replied, "But you're not going to like what I have to say."

"And why should I listen to you? You're just an illusion, you're not real. I'm going insane, losing the grip on my reality as I fall down this rabbit hole."

"Because," the figure crossed its arms nonchalantly, "While the Phantom Ruby can alter and augment reality, it can't create something out of thin air. Something **had to be there** to begin with."

Shirina gulped, feeling the full weight of the shadow's words. Everything was adding up, 'Is this my true nature? Have I been denying what I was deep inside, all this time? Have I been fooling myself?' She gazed at the figure, "Who are you?"

"You know it Shirina. You always have. Say it."

"N-no, I can't."

"Say it or else these pains, these fears will continue to torment you. Say it!"

"Please, no, I've gone this far, I already know! Don't make me say it!" she begged.

"Then why are you denying it? Why are you fighting this so hard?"

"Because if I said I heard myself say it, then it…"

"It what?"

"…then it means it's true," she finally admitted.

"And what's the truth?"

"That you're me." Stillness filled the air between the two for a few moments.

"Go on. What about you am I?"

She reluctantly spoke as she hung her head, "You're the part of me I keep locked away. The part of me I was ashamed of expressing. The part of me that loved chaos, disorder, freedom. You're the part of me that I kept locked away and thought was gone when the spirit of adventuring made me feel liberated."

The figure seemed more than pleased by this answer and her posture relaxed, unwinding her arms. "And now, I'm free, we both are. We don't have to pretend everything's ok when it's not. We…I can finally be at peace with who I am." The shadow Shirina stepped out of the distortion wall and offered a hand. Compared to the earlier nightmare, there was nothing malicious about the shadow. It had an aura of comfort, warmth, and acceptance.

She looked at her clone's hand and was about to take her hand, until she stopped. Her hand hovered above her counterparts. "What about the others?"

The shadow scoffed and rolled her eyes, "Oh come on, we don't need them. Look if they were really our friends, they would've trusted us more. They would've have just sent us alone on this mission. They would've actually visited us; the only who did was Bass. They used us Shirina. We were just one of the rookies who had incredible power and potential which they used to win the War. They didn't care for us."

This deeply wounded the hedgehog girl. She stepped back and retracted her hand, "N-no, you're wrong! They do care! You want us to submit to Eggman and the Ruby's control. I-I won't have it!"

The shadow almost pitied her; it sighed. "Well should you change your mind, I'm always with you, and you know where to go." It began to evaporate into its surroundings as the static and haze faded away. She saw she was still in Eggman's Lab, the man looking at her, awaiting her next move. She backed away from the gemstone and the scientist, shivering and trembling, before turning around and sprinting away from the room. She dashed through the halls and made her way out the complex, tears forming in her eyes as she ran.

She was far out enough in the distance, away from the outpost where she collapsed on the fresh wet grass. She sobbed silently for a while, laying down on the grass. 'Things weren't supposed to be like this. I'm a jester, a clown: I just wanted to make people laugh and have fun. I just wanted to be happy.' She expected a sarcastic response from her inner shadow, but none came; only silence rang. 'Wonderful, now I really am alone.' She lied on her back and looked to the sky, 'What am I going to do now? I can't call Bass; I don't have my normal com-link to contact him. I can't call Resistance HQ; while they'd take Eggman in, they'd probably lock up the Phantom Ruby to Chaos knows where. And I'd never have complete closure. Would they even understand what I'm going through?' She felt she stuck between a rock and hard place, when an idea came to her mind. She found the strength to stand and took out the special blue com-link.

She sorted through the contacts and dialed a name. It rang for what seemed like eternity until a cheerful but laidback male voice picked up, "Hello?"

"Hey, Sonic, can…I talk to you?"

* * *

The voice of the Blue Blur sounded sympathetic, "Yeah sure, but I can't stay on the line too long. Only supposed to be for emergencies and stuff like that. What's up?"

Her forced smiled faltered as she realized she wasn't a priority for him. 'If it was Tails or Knuckles, he'd stopped everything to help them,' she thought. "Well, uh, how can I put this? Sonic, you ever…feel like you've dealt with darkness."

"Yeah lots of times. Faced off against enough formidable evil figures more times than I care to count. Is someone bothering you?"

"N-no, that's not what I meant," she bit her lip. 'Should I tell him? How would he react?' Resigning herself to biting the bullet, she confessed a little bit of her current situation. "Like, I'm fighting darkness inside of me. It's this part of me that wants to do bad things, to let go my morals and inhibitions. Have you even dealt with that?"

Awkward silence passed for a few moments before he spoke again, "No, sorry Shirina. I really can't say I have. Even when doing things that were morally questionable, I knew at least from my perspective and from my friends, that what I was doing was right. I usually throw caution to the wind so I'm not really the best one to give advice on how control yourself. I usually leave that part to Tails or Amy," he gives a small chuckle. She laughed a little bit too, but she was breaking on the inside. One of her closest friends, the hero who saved the world, couldn't help her and from his tone, it didn't sound like he wanted to. "But what you said is a little concerning, I gotta admit. I know things can weigh you down and bring you into a really rough spot, but you're sounding like the Zeti or heck, even Shadow before he got a grip on things. I'd really hate to fight another friend in order to talk some sense into them," he joked. Something deep within her began to snap; he just compared her to a group of very dangerous foes and his rival at his deadliest.

'He sees me as the enemy,' her thoughts came crashing down on her.

"Shirina? Hello, can you hear me?"

"Y-yeah I can hear ya," she strained herself to put on a more upbeat attitude, "I'd hate for that to happen too." She let out a giggle and a honk for good measure. "Just, I've been feeling at odds with myself and I don't know what to do. How can you fight a battle when the biggest enemy is yourself?"

Silence overtook the conversation again before he replied in an uneasy tone, "Well I gotta admit, this is a harder conversation than I'm used to. The emotional stuff really isn't my strong suit. I honestly think that talking to Amy, Silver, Blaze or even the Brooding Black Edgehog," he took a pause to snicker at his nickname for his rival, "would help ya out more. I don't know how much actual help I can be Shirina."

'He's giving up on me,' her words, echoing in her head. This was the final push to send over that edge; she was barely hanging on, trying to reach the light, but Sonic's words, intentional or not, made her believe she was beyond saving. 'What happened to being partners? You told me we'd always be friends, and nothing could stop us together. Why are you abandoning me, when I need you the most?'

"You got quiet again, you sure everything's ok? Amy mentioned you were on some kind of scouting mission looking for Eggman. Nothing happened to you, right?"

"No," she lied, "Nothing happened. Just, guess being really alone away from you all made me a lot more lonesome and homesick than I realized."

"Awh, Shirina, well why didn't you say so?!" He sounded genuinely happy and currently oblivious to more somber tone. "I'm almost done with my own personal stuff and hunt for the Eggster," he let out another chuckle at one of the many nicknames he gave for the Doctor. "Once I'm done here, we need to hang out. I missed having ya around partner." He sounded like he genuinely wanted to help her and get her back on her feet, but sadly his words fell on deaf ears.

'He's…not coming to see me. He's too busy with his own agenda. If I were one of his actual special friends in his life, the ones he always depends on, he'd drop everything he was doing and come to help. He doesn't care, at least not anymore. Why should I?' In a shaky voice, Shirina responded, "I-I missed you too. You sure we can't talk longer?" The last shreds of light within her for screaming to be saved, to be helped, but she couldn't bring herself to ask him directly.

"Sorry Shirina, I really can't. I'm about to head into an old station here west of Sunset Hill. Even if I can't find him, I'm gonna need some clues. But we'll talk later, ok?"

"Yeah, that sounds fine Sonic. Thank you for the chat."

"Oh yeah and before I go, Shirina, don't stress about these things. I know times can seem though and the road seems dark ahead, but you can't be a hero all the time. You gotta put your own happiness and well-being into account too. Just try to do things that'll take the edge off these moods and you'll see things will start to improve. Take care Partner, I'll chat with ya in person soon!" And with that, the com-link shut off.

Any hope Shirina had left that Sonic could somehow save her like how he saved the world were crushed. The light inside of her simply gave out, and let go, plunging into the shadows overtaking her. 'He's right, they all are.' She fell to her knees, exhausted from the mental struggle this entire saga has been. She reached her breaking point; she couldn't fight anymore. 'I'm tired. I tried so hard to be what everyone wants me to be; I should stop. I need to stop pretending and start accepting that if this is what the world wants from me, I should go with it. If this what my role in this story is, to become an agent of madness, so be it. If this is what it takes to make me happy again, to stop this from hurting so bad, I'll do it.' She sluggishly got back up and made her way back to Eggman's outpost.

* * *

The Doctor was still in the Ruby's lab but had put the glass back on to encase the gem. He was typing away at a few files and commands at his seat when he saw Shirina drag herself in with a sullen attitude. Eggman stood up and crossed his arms, looking at her with mild apathy. "So, why are you back here. I thought you refused my offer." Shirina, her head still hung low, threw out the blue com-link on the floor. Eggman raised an eyebrow but before he could say anything, she raised her foot high into the air and stomped it. The mad roboticist's more reserved expression grew into a very large, malicious smile.

Shirina, still not be able to lift her head to look at him, kneeled down before the large man. "I accept. I am your instrument of destruction, your agent of chaos, your jester of illusions. I have nothing left, so please, let me take the Phantom Ruby's power so I can fulfill my role and wash away this agony. I am yours, Master Eggman."

He could only grin more in response; she actually half expected a sarcastic remark or have him to gloat in her face. But that never came; instead he offered a hand to her. She looked at him with weary eyes. "It's ok Shirina," he beamed, "I'm here to help and support you. I can help you so that the Ruby doesn't take full control and you can finally be yourself and put all of this behind you. You have every resource of my intellect and Empire available to you." Hearing the man's faith in her gave her the comfort and attention she was absolutely starved for at the moment. She couldn't resist it, even if he was lying or not. She took his hand as he helped her up and led her to the cursed gemstone. The glass lifted up again as it was ready for her to take it. He reassuringly consoled her, "You know what to do, my dear~ Reach out for your **destiny**~" She silently nodded as she let go of his hand and placed both of hers on the Phantom Ruby. Her world once again became filled with red static as she descended into its influence and embrace. This time, however, she was smiling and happily welcomed it.

* * *

The next few days were a bit of a blur for the pink hedgehog. After collapsing due to extreme fatigue of taking the full-frontal assault of the Phantom Ruby's energy and her internal battle, Eggman had put her in a med-bay. He carefully monitored her condition and when she seemed stable enough, he subjected her to one of his mind control devices. Now while he didn't set it up to the highest setting to make her as soulless and obedient as a robot, he did instill and implanted loyalty and servitude protocols. He's had a few close calls with some of his more ambitious projects going rogue and betraying him. This was more insurance on his behalf rather than anything else. Once the minor re-framing of her mind was complete, he sent her to her own private room. It was nearly as big as his and it was more than enough for her to regain her strength. He left her to recover for he had a surprise for his newest protégé once she awoken.

Shirina groaned lightly as she woke up, feeling, more at ease with herself than she had been in a long time. Her thoughts drifted to the last few days, of her choice, of siding with and serving Eggman and become the Ruby's newest bearer. It…somehow felt like it where she needed to be. She sat up in bed and lied her back against the metallic headboard. She wasn't in her jester outfit, but rather a set of Empire themed sleepwear. She looked at the room; it was slightly larger than her own bedroom and had more high-tech commodities in it. She looked at the table in the middle of the room and there sat the Phantom gem. She walked towards it and picked it up; it lightly pulsated to her touch. She used its abilities to conceal it and mask it, keeping it close to her while not having it be obvious, unless the need be to unleash its true power. She smiled, proud of herself when she heard a knock at the door. "Come in," she said, her voice a little hoarse from not using it. Eggman came in with a large box, wrapped in paper that bore the emblem of the Egg Empire, and a bottle of water. He handed the water to the hedgehog and she happily gulped down half the bottle in one go. Feeling refreshed, she put it aside and asked the doctor, "Master," the word should've felt foreign for her to say for her ex-nemesis, but it felt natural, "What's in the box?"

"Oh, nothing~ Just a gift from me to you. As my new second in command I figured I should give you something to celebrate the momentous occasion. Here," he handed her the box, "I designed it myself~"

She looked at him and then at the box and began to tear away at the wrapping paper. She opened it and couldn't believe her eyes. She dug it out and grew the happiest smile she had in ages. It was a jester uniform but themed much in fashion to his outfit; a true general's or high-ranking official's attire. "My Lord," she couldn't stop smiling, "you didn't have to do this for me."

"Oh I know, but I wanted to. What kind of partner would I be if I didn't treat you like my equal~" he slyly grinned. "Well, put that on and I'll await you in the throne room, we have much to plan~" He bid her a momentary farewell and stepped outside, making his way to the mentioned room. She quickly got to disrobing to try on her new uniform.

She couldn't believe how amazing she looked in the uniform. The main color of her jester cap was a light burgundy, a color used in the older days of the Empire. A yellow streak in each tail of the jester hat gave a perfect amount of flare and matched with the yellow poms attached to the end of it. The rest of the outfit was a marvel to see as well. The majority of her overcoat was the same light burgundy with a yellow section that covered her midriff to chest area where it buttoned up. The coat also had yellow cuffs to match along with the epaulettes adorning her shoulders. Her more frilly white gloves played off the white collar of her main suit. Her lower body was just as colorful and chaotic. She had on very short black tights on her hip area as her leggings came up. The leggings alternated colors; her left being yellow, her right that light shade of burgundy. The coat tails of the overcoat also alternated to match with her leggings. She had thigh high black books, very similar in fashion to the ones the Doctor himself had. The key difference here is that her boots looked like jester heels, with a curved design to them. To finish the look, she put on a black bowtie and a yellow clown nose. She honked and giggled happily as she gave a few poses in the mirror.

Shirina walked down the hall, a newfound spring in her step, a devious but playful aura surrounding her. She felt whole, she felt accepted, she felt **free **as she headed to the throne room. She headed in and giggled to her commander, "So, watcha think? ~"

Eggman let out his signature cackle, "Ohohoho~ Marvelous. I must say I've outdone myself with your outfit design. Thought the jester look was part your identity and who am I to take that away from you? ~"

She teasingly bowed at him, "Well thank you Master, it's an amazing uniform that I'm proud to wear."

He nodded and pulled up a few screens showing locations and bases left in disarray. "Well, we're going to need to rebuild our Empire bit by bit. It's going to take some time and we may run into a few of your former allies. You may even get the chance of getting have them join our side ~" Her mind flashed to Bass and her feelings for him; oh, she had plans for him. "Ready to start my Mistress of Illusions? ~"

She couldn't contain her excitement; she honked and nodded eagerly. "I can't wait to start the show~"


	2. Act II: Ruby's Reprise

"Chaos damn it!" a red, long, spiky haired hedgehog barged into the tech lab. He slumped into the metal chair, laying his upper body across the workbench. He buried his head in his arms and starting to breathe heavily. His eyes were starting to get wet; frustration and anger built inside of him. He spent the entire weekend looking for her, **again**, and still no sign of his partner was found. He tried to calm himself down, but it was starting to get incredibly hard. 'Come on, she wouldn't want to see you like this,' he reasoned with himself. He sat still, hunched over in misery. The young man exhaled deeply as he lifted his head. He took out the yellow com-link device from his pocket and stared at it. Memories came flashing in from the last time he saw her.

_"It's ok, really. Besides I felt like I…" she paused her expression became unsettled. _

_"Felt like what?" She shook her head, hearing his voice._

_She masked on a smile, albeit a more melancholic one, "-erm. Like I'd go stir crazy on base. I mean half the time is just waiting around there, hoping to get called on some kind of missions to help people out, right? N'ah that, really isn't my style. I'd rather help in my own way, on my own terms."  
_

'I should've had her come back to HQ with me. I knew there was something wrong, but thought it was nothing major,' he berated himself, 'I could've helped her. She'd still be here.' He pulled out a picture from his pockets and unfolded it. The group photo had the cast of heroes who fought against Eggman in the War together; he had an arm wrapped around the purple-dressed jester girl. He looked at his own outfit in the photo; he contrasted completely against her, but they looked great together. He wore a yellow shirt that had a green collar and green cuffs. Tight black pants covered his lower half along with a belt. He wore a set of orange and white gloves that had black rubber knuckle guards. They matched with his yellow and orange combat boots. To put the whole look together, he wore white rimmed sunglasses with large green lenses.

He took another long breath as he stashed the photo away again. He stood up from the work bench and went to the back of the shop. In his personal storage unit, where he kept his current work in progress. He pulled out what seemed to be a disassembled Wispon, a case of vinyl discs, and an Egg Pawn's dismantled head. The red hedgehog put the items on a wheeled tray and headed back to his workstation. He set the items down and began to work; he always was a bit of a mechanic. Burying himself in the more difficult choice of his hobbies seemed to be only thing that kept him sane this past month. The young man tinkered and tampered with the electronics; the thoughts of the jesteress, being a little less painful.

* * *

"Bass?" a younger sounding voice muttered. The red hedgehog stirred in his sleep. "Bass, wake up." He felt something shake him gently.

"Nngghh," he groaned as he slowly lifted his head from the table. He looked towards the direction of the voice and saw the face of the twin-tailed genius fox. He put on a tired smile, "Hey Tails."

"Bass," the yellow fox said with a look of concern, "How long have you been here?"

"Well, what time is it?"

"It's 3 AM."

Still seated, he stretched his back and arms, "Then around thirteen hours."

The fox goes wide-eyed, "Jeez, Bass, that isn't healthy."

"I know it isn't."

"Then why are doing this? Locking yourself away for days on end after a failed scouting mission just isolates you away from the rest of us. We want to help."

Bass sighed, looking away silently from Tails for a few moments. He finally spoke, "Out of everyone on base, I thought you would've understood."

Tails was taken aback by this, "What do you mean?"

Bass turned to look at the fox in the eyes, "You abandoned everyone for 6 months when you thought Sonic was dead. Seems a little hypocritical when you don't practice what you preach," his tone laced with a bit of venom and bitterness. Tails winced and looked ashamed hearing the frustrated man's words. Bass noticed the younger boy's drooped ears, "Hey, I'm sorry. T-that wasn't cool for me to say. You were grieving Sonic's loss, well when we thought he was gone anyway."

Tails gently nodded and perked up a little at his apology, "No, it's fine. You do have a point. I'm just worried about you. All you've been doing is going on scouting missions and overworking yourself in the lab. You've only ever gone home to eat, shower and occasionally sleep. You're going to crash."

The red hedgehog went quiet for a few more moments. "It's been a month; a little more so," he stated simply. "That's how long she's been missing."

"Bass…"

"Tell me, Tails, have you ever loved anyone?"

The lead mechanic was unprepared for this question, "U-uh, yeah, I love my friends."

Bass sadly shakes his head with a pained laugh, "No, that's not what I meant. Tails…I feel like there's a part of me missing. It's this unbearable pain knowing she's not here with me. And not knowing if she's ok, if she's hurt or Chaos forbid," he took a pause, "dead, it eats away at me. So, I can't stop. I **won't** stop; not until she's in my arms again." He looks over at the headway he's made so far on the glasses and Wipson. "But I guess I can call it a day for now and get some rest until you all need me again."

Tails looks relieved at hearing Bass admit he needs some rest. "Alright, we'll let you know when we get another lead or possible sighting of her and it's ok to go."

The tired man nods and stows away his current works in progress back into the storage container. He waves drowsily at the fox and heads out of the Resistance base. He makes his way to the central train station, one of the few left in operation, and rode the line towards his apartment.

* * *

Bass opened the door to his home and sleepily strolled in. He flickered on the lights, dragging his body across the humble kitchen and living rooms areas. He craned his neck to see his musical equipment neatly organized along the wall. Ever since she's been gone, he hasn't had the heart or passion to compose anything as of late: his muse vanished. 'Ah, what the hell,' he mulled over for a couple of seconds, picking up his guitar, heading to the bedroom, 'I need to practice anyway.'

He laid the acoustic instrument on the top of his bed as he got dressed into his sleepwear. He started to pluck and fiddle with the instrument; making sure he still had decent finger dexterity with some basic scales and chords. Satisfied with his normal drills, he began to play a small tune. It was a simple melody, played in a minor key. He continued to strum the strings until he found the words he wanted to sing: to ease his aching heart.

_"I call your name, I bid you goodnight  
__I toss in bed, I don't feel all right  
__I wonder where you roam  
__Cause without you, this isn't home."_

_"Wait, love  
__I'll search for you anywhere, any day  
__Soon, in each other's embrace, is where we'll stay  
__Or so I say"_

_"I miss your voice, it's here you belong  
__I cry and weep, still singing this song  
__My world's turned monochrome  
__Cause without you, this isn't home."_

* * *

He groaned as he woke up, sunlight hitting his eyes. He stirred a little in bed, realizing that he was cradling the guitar in his arms. A blush crept onto his face as he pushed it aside, making it rest against his beside dresser. The red hedgie proceeded to do his usual morning routine of getting into the shower, changing into his usual attire and grabbing a bowl of Choco Chao brand cereal. Finished with breakfast, he yawned and glanced at the time: it was around one in the afternoon. "Well, back to business," he sighed, glancing at the com-link; no update on a scouting or rescue mission. He headed back to the train station, making his commute back to headquarters. He greeted everyone on the way in, and immediately went to the labs. Bass dug out his current project and began working.

This had become his daily routine: wake up, shower, breakfast, commute to HQ, greet everyone, head to the lab, burying himself to the point of exhaustion, be woken up by someone, (usually a member of the Chaotix as they were the night watch crew) head home, pass out, rinse, repeat. Days went by he grew more impatient, more…irritable. He always had a temper, and he could use that in battle, surely. But right now, being cooped up in the lab without a proper mission, especially to look for her; it's driving him insane. He's stopped greeting people and has become more and more of a shut-in with every passing day. His hair's been messier than usual; he hasn't slept nearly as well as he should've. He was in a bit of a daze, working on the modified Wipson. He's made substantial advancements; he's changed the primary power source of the weapon to instead by a Wisp, it'll run on the soundwaves produced by the vinyl discs. He's noticed different tempos and songs give different soundwaves when fired. 'Now,' he thought, 'if I could crack the Egg Pawn's protocols to have the secondary effects I desire, I-" he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Bass," it said firmly. He spun in his chair and nearly fell out if it from backing away from the hand on his shoulder. Tails looked worried at his co-mechanic, "Bass…are you okay?"

He didn't speak for a few minutes, staring off at the wall, "Define okay."

Tails shook his head and sighed, "Bass this isn't healthy for you. I didn't want it to come to this, but I'm revoking your access to the lab."

The red hedgehog snapped hearing this: his temper exploded. He slammed his fists down on the table, making it have a sizable dent. He spoke in a very uneven tone, "**Why?**"

The yellow fox backed away slightly, eyes gone wide, "Because you're self-destructing. You're my friend, but your little project, it's no longer a healthy way to cope. You've become obsessed over it."

Hearing the boy's words helped Bass reel back his anger. He let out a long deep breath, "I-I'm sorry. I…admittedly have been getting worse. But please, Tails, don't take this away from me."

"Bass, I-"

"Tails," he looked at the fox directly. He was practically begging in his tone, "It's all I have left."

He sighed and reluctantly said, "Alright, I'm not revoking access. But **I am** limiting your hours here. You can't really expect to go out on a scouting mission and do well on it when you're in this mindset."

Bass gritted his teeth and huffed in frustration; he knew Tails had a point. He wouldn't be any good to her if he couldn't even find her to begin with. "Fine, you win."

The twin-tailed tech-whiz smiled, "Alright, that's great. I'm trusting you on this." With that, Tails bid farewell for the moment before heading to the Commander's Room for debriefing. Without missing a beat, Bass went on to work again on his project. Hours passed as he tirelessly made progress on the new weapon. 'I'm so close! Just a little more time and I'll crack the code. I'm past most of Eggman's firewalls!'

There was a knock at the door frame of the room, "Hey Rookie, we gotta go."

Bass spun around to see a large crocodile crossing his arms with a smirk. "Vector, we both know I ain't a Rookie anymore," he teased.

"Yeah, I know, just yanking your chain. But we seriously gotta clock out, or else our Boy Wonder is gonna discipline ya for this. And I know that you don't want that."

Bass glanced back the Egg Pawn's dethatched head; he only needed a few more moments to bypass the final checks and apply the data to the customized Wipson. He then had an idea; he grinned and nodded to the reptile, "Sure. Needed to get some air anyway, thanks Vector."

* * *

Hours later, in the dead of night, a figure could be seen creeping around HQ. The mysterious figure dodged the guards' flashlights as they patrolled the night watch. Making his way to the west wing, careful to avoid getting caught, he used the buildings blind spots to sneak himself into the shadows. He eventually made his way to the destination point and slid his ID card, unlocking the door and getting in. Once inside he carefully sneaked around the walls and corners making sure no one was in the halls. He headed towards the lab and made his way in, securing the door. As he finally let himself have a second to relax, Bass inhaled deeply. "Damn it," he started to argue with himself, "What am I even doing here? I should come back tomorrow. If I'm caught, I'm going to get put on probation." 'Even if you went to bed, are you going to rest? Might as well be productive,' his inner voice reasoned. He shrugged and walked to the back of the room, ready to finish his project.

Hours into the night, he was yawning, exhausted. He was starting to doze off when he heard a confirmation ping sound off from the Egg Pawn's head. He jolted towards the data pad he's been using to bypass the security measures and his eyes widen: he did it. The code was finally cracked, and he could program some of its functions into the sound canon. He quickly got to setting the subcommands and directives to the different types of music and sounds supplied by the vinyl discs. Bass diligently worked through the night, making sure everything was going as smoothly as possible. He was so entranced with his task; he didn't notice a certain red sundress wearing pink hedgehog. "Bass," came her tone, disappointment being evident.

He switched his focus to the direction her voice came from, "A-ah, Amy, what brings you here?"

"Well I was going to do the usual morning routines of prepping for the day and seeing any updates. Then I saw a lot of activity coming from the lab and had to check it out since I know no one's supposed to be here at this hour, except for the night watch," she crossed her arms.

"O-oh, you see, well I lost track of the time working on my Subwoofer Wipson here," he gestured towards the weapon, "Should've realized how late it was."

She seemed unfazed, still looking sternly at him, "Alright, since you're finished with it, you can finally go to your apartment and take a breather."

"Thanks for the offer commander, but what about the scouting missions? Has there been any update?"

She looked uneasy as her eyes shifted away from his. "Bass get some rest. Go home, please."

He glared daggers at her, his voice becoming harsher, "Is there an update or not, **boss?**"

She sighed, "Alright, I'll be honest with you, yes there is. But I don't want you on it, as harsh as it seems." He seemed to tense up even more as she continued to speak, "You're in no condition to go look for her and we can't afford to delay a day if we want to get her back safely. Bass, I'm sorry, but you've given me no choice."

His mind was reeling. 'They're taking her from me. She's **mine!** This weapon was supposed to help scramble and turn the Egg Pawns and Badniks to our side! They can't pull the plug on me now! This is unfair, this isn't right!'

She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, "We care about you as much as we care about her. But you're self-destructing, and we don't want you to crash and burn."

It was a single moment, but that's all it took. Bass only acted upon instinct; no logical or moral thought passing through his brain. He grabbed the sound canon and fired it directly at Amy, point blank range. 'Crud, I don't even know if this actually works on natural people rather than just bots,' he mentally cursed himself. He did however see his female superior looking at him in a rather odd state. Her eyes lost their shine, her eyelids drooped slightly, and she looked as if she was on stand-by. He set the weapon back down on the table as he cautiously spoke to her, "Amy?"

"Yes…" her tone sounded off; as if she was in a haze.

"Are you ok?"

"Feel…relaxed. Awaiting…orders…"

His heart stopped for a moment; by the gods, he actually pulled it off. Completely unintentional: his little experiment resulted in the sound canon successfully converting the hypnotic tones and submissive commands to affect organic begins. A chill ran up his spine; a rather pleasant one in fact. Seeing his supreme commander who was putting him on suspension mere moments ago, now being putty in his hands, awoke a sick sense of pleasure in him. Bass was going to enjoy this power-trip for all it's worth. "Amy, hand me your data log." She wordlessly handed him her data pad, containing most of the up-to-date intel that the remaining Resistance needed. He transferred the update on the latest scouting mission to his com-link. He grinned slyly as he handed the pad back to her. "See, that wasn't so hard, was it? ~"

She shook her head as she stored her device away. "No, it wasn't, **Master.**" That word hit him like a ton of bricks; it pulled him back into reality. _"Master," _her voice echoed in his mind; a part of him really loved how it sounded. That absolutely terrified the rest of his conscience.

Realizing the massive line he just crossed, he needed to make things right. "Alright, Amy, I'm going to give you a set of commands ok?"

"Yes Master"

Another pleasant chill ran down his spine; he tried his best to ignore it. "Ok, I want you to take a nap and forget **all of this** ever happened, ok? You sent me back to my place, and this update was a false alarm. You sent nobody on it as there was nothing to be found. And I am not 'Master' at all. Got it?"

"Yes…sir."

"Good, now go to your office and take a well-earned rest." She nodded slowly and walked rather emotionlessly to where he instructed. As she headed out, Bass heaved and gasped for air, the adrenaline washing over him.

'Oh gods, what did I do? How could I do that?! What is wrong with me?!' he mentally screamed as he buried his head his palms. He felt the com-link press against his forehead, seemingly forgetting he had it in his hand for a few seconds. He took a glance at the data displayed on it, showing the new mission details. 'Right,' he reminded himself, 'whatever it takes to find her.' Bass cleaned up his workstation, tossed the unneeded materials away, and grabbed his newest acoustic firearm. He made sure to act casually, to not raise any suspicion as he walked out of Headquarters. Once he was in the main city streets, he bolted towards the outskirts, ready to face whatever obstacle lied ahead.

* * *

Without any assistance or support from the Resistance, the journey was long and arduous. He spent days running across the zones and the various countryside areas. Bass was heading southeast, towards one of the thermal areas in the region. The lead and new info apparently lead to a Badnik factory stationed at Hot Crater. The area had hardly been touched since it's renovation and industrialization by the tyrannical mad genius. He felt the air getting hotter as he saw waves of heat in distance. He could see in the distance the mechanical loops were embedded and helped terraform the natural rocky landscape. 'Well, I've come this far, can't back down now.'

Running through the now abandoned zone was a surreal experience to the red hedgehog. He was used to running through either natural environments or full on industrial plants, bustling with movement. It was a little uncanny seeing a zone in a state in-between the two; especially when there wasn't much commotion going on. Not to be fooled however, the determined young adventurer still had a hard time navigating through the platforms and left-over traps. The lava and fires below the factory were a major environmental hazard he had to look out for as well. Bass still pressed on, heading to the main plaza center of the complex.

He from a lower ledge, he used his grappling hook to latch onto a metallic hold one of the structures. He climbed up and finally made it to the main plaza area. He took a good around; it was rather large and impressive, being one of the bigger factories he'd seen from the Doctor. The fur on the back of his neck raised as he tensed up; he wasn't alone. He felt someone watching him, but he couldn't tell who or where. He raised his sound canon, "Alright, come out whoever you are! I'm here on a rescue mission and if you know better, you'll get out of my way!"

A feminine giggle echoed through the area, "Oh my~ Well honestly I don't know if I should be insulted or extremely relieved that you're the only one on this mission, Bass~"

He froze; it was **her.** Well it was her voice at least. Before being able to process what she just said, a small cloud of red static materialized in the air as she floated out of it. She slowly descended and landed gracefully, giving a bit of a playful bow. Bass could only stare; he finally found her. But she was…different. She was wearing a jester outfit yes, but it wasn't her usual purple one, that resembled a certain famous Nightmaren. Her current attire's primary color was a light shade of burgundy, with yellow highlights, and stylized much like a general of the Egg Empire. His mind thought a million things, but he could say one single word, "Shirina."

* * *

"Why, hello to you too~" she chuckled.

"You have no idea…how much I missed you," he stepped in closer to hug her, but paused as he saw her outfit.

"What," she teased, "Don't tell me I look awful in this makeover~" she honks a little.

"You don't look awful, far from it. But, why are you wearing **his** uniform design?"

Shirina looked away, looking ashamed for a moment before smirking, "Well, to put it simply, I changed teams~"

He entire world collapsed; after searching for so long to find her, to bring her back, she betrayed everyone. "W-wait what?! You're working for Eggman?! Why?!"

"Because, I felt unneeded by the Resistance. I was abandoned by everyone. Our so-called friends used me."

"Shirina, look, I get being at odds with our commanding forces. Even I…" his mind flashed to his behavior and actions this past month, "…have butted heads with 'em. So, I get leaving; you had left. But why join **him?!**"

"Because he was the only one that listened!" she barked back. "Master Eggman was the only one who understood the conflict in me, the darkness lying within. He didn't make me feel afraid anymore. Ever since I embraced the Ruby's call, I've felt good about myself again. The pain, the doubt, it all stopped."

"Master Eggman? The Ruby's call? Wait," he remembered the reality warping gemstone Infinite possessed to overpower Sonic. His mind seemed to piece together the only logical argument that would've caused Shirina to turn on her past life. "I get it. You're under some kind of mind control by that lunatic! He's using the Phantom Ruby to mess with your mind with illusions!"

"Oh, my dear Bass, I'll let you know right now," she warped behind him and leaned in close, whispering into his ear, "This is no mere illusion~"

He backed away and gawked at her in disbelief. 'N-no. This is impossible!' His temper was starting to rise; his mind begging to reel into despair. This conversation just echoed in his head, until a few words struck out to him. "Hold on, you mentioned the mission. How could've you have possibly known that? You weren't there to see the mission update. Unless…" it dawned on him.

"…I was the one to leak the details on how to find me."

"Why?! If you became part of his army, why lead the Resistance straight to you?!"

"Well," she cocked her head to side humorously, "Two main reasons. One of them is because I needed a field test. I can only use my powers on bots and Badniks for so long before it becomes boring. Needed actual people to test them out on~" she snickered, before her expression grew a little more somber. "The second one is you."

A blush crept on his cheeks, "M-me?"

She smiled warmly; it reminded Bass of the days back when they first met. "Yeah, you. I…need you Bass. Even though I feel more like myself lately, a part was still missing. You're my best friend, my partner. I…" the words hung in the air unspoken again. "…You're special to me."

"You're special to me too," he smiled sadly back at her, "And I'll make it right this time." He turned on his acoustic weapon, letting it warm up.

She took a step back, "Bass…what are you doing?"

"Look, I know you say you're finally free, but you called Eggman, 'Master,' so I'm just gonna simply undo whatever he did to your mind."

She raised an eyebrow, "You constructed a brainwashing sound canon? Gotta say, not very hero-like of you, Bass~"

He growled and raised his voice at her, his anger getting the best of him, "Shut it Shirina. I'm going to save you; even if that means saving you from yourself."

Her eyes began to glow red as a crimson aura surrounded her. She levitated into the air and glared at him. "Y'know, it's a little too late for that. And honestly, I thought you'd accept me, understand me. This is who I really am, underneath that stupid façade of being a heroine. I was miserable, scared, dealing with darkness. I don't want to go back; you can't make me. If you don't want to listen to me, **then I'll make you understand.**" She summoned large distortion cubes and hurled them at him. His eyes widened at the sight of the cubes; getting caught in one of those would cause his entire world to be wrapped in a warped reality. He rolled and slid out of the way, barely dodging them as they crashed against the ground. He took cover behind a metallic structure, making sure he was ready to fire; he quickly took aim and fired at her. She heard the sound of his canon go off and warped away before she could get hit by it. He cursed under his breath as he stayed vigilant for another shot. A cloud of red static began to form; he had his finger ready on the trigger. From the cloud emerged a dozen copies of the jester girl. "Try to have fun in guessing which one's the real me~"

He groaned, "Damn it Shirina, stop making this more difficult than it needs to be!"

All of them giggled, "That's the point~" They all began to summon small crimson spike-balls. Bass rolled his eyes and rushed into the open area, firing at a few of the clones. Due to them flying around and toying with him, he was only able to land two hits. The copies disappeared into crimson mist.

"Well, looks like you missed the real me. My turn~" the Shirinas cackled as they launched the spike-balls at Bass.

'This is gonna hurt,' he braced himself for impact as he felt the onslaught of spikes shredded through his clothes. His shirt and pants now were pretty tattered and torn; minor cuts and small lacerations were all over his body.

"It didn't have to be like this," one of the jester gals spoke up, "We can stop fighting. You can join me, and we don't have to care about anyone or anything else. We can do whatever we want under the Empire." A blast hits one of the duplicates in response. "Alright, I see you really want to do this the hard way." The squadron of jesters started to vanish, leaving only a trail of distortion behind. Hearing it was completely quiet, Bass was forced to come out of his cover zone. He kept his weapon raised, not letting his guard down. From behind him, two of the duplicates remerged and ambushed him. One of the clones grabbed a hold of his weapon as the other locked her arms under his.

"Knock it off!" he thrashed against the two copies.

"Nope~" the one grabbing his gun giggled. She finally managed to wrangle the weapon away from him. "Sorry hun, but I'm going to have to take away your toy~" She threw it on the ground and smashed it under her foot. "There, we're on more equal fighting ground, don't ya think~"

'This is really bad,' Bass mulled over the situation, 'I'm too exposed out here. And now that my weapon is utterly trashed...' his head turned towards the factory. '…Guess I'll just have to use the Zone to my advantage~' He squatted down to build up power in his legs. He jumped hard and landed on his back; the clone vanishing upon impact. The remaining copy looked a little worried and was about to attack; then he ran and rolled into her, taking her our out as well. He made a break for the factory's interior, "If you wanna come get me Shirina, you're gonna have come and find me~" he teased as he ran inside.

* * *

Shirina had to answer his taunt, fully well knowing he was leading her into a trap. 'Doesn't matter,' she amusingly thought to herself, 'I've still got the advantage~'

Bass was busy surveying the area, seeing all the alternate routes and path he could take. He noticed that the paths all seem to converge, before splitting off again, at a large station near a molten core. 'So, I'm guessing that's the heart of this place. If I can get Shirina to exhaust her energy by the time she reaches the core, I can easily overpower her.' He grinned and put his plan into motion by jumping off a higher platform onto the winding path below. "Hey Shirina! Let's see if you can still keep up with me! ~" He began running around the loops and bends. She figured that she could cover more ground with duplicates and made another squadron as they all flew throughout the area. Bass was spiriting through the mechanical complex as a copy began to follow him. 'Good, she's taking the bait,' he smirked.

As he was barely outrunning the clone behind him, another phased in front of him, "Gotcha~"

"Think again~" he hopped and bounced off the duplicate, using her as a platform to reach the upper route. This action also resulted in the two copies crashing into each other. Bass chuckled and continued to race down the pathways. Rushing through a few loops, he came to a straightway; a copy managed to catch up to him, flying alongside him. "So, come here often?"

"Not nearly enough," she sarcastically replied back, "But enough small talk. You're coming with me, darling~"

"Tempting but…" he jumped high and used his grappling hook to lock onto her, performing a homing attack. Seeing the clone vanish after the strike, he made his way to a steep rocky slope, "…I've got other plans." He used his momentum to slide down the slope, picking up speed. Seeing this as an opportunity to catch him, one of the Shirinas summoned a few decent sized ruby red boulders to knock him off course. This made the red hedgehog incredibly nervous. He saw the slope curved upward again over the molten core. There was a chain and hook he could grab onto with his own if he timed it just right. It was risky but it was his only move now. He leaned forward, picking up more speed as the boulders behind him were catching up. 'Come on, just a little more!' He kept shifting his body weight as the rocks began to skip and bounce, quickly reaching him.

The upward curve soon came, and he braced himself to jump; the stones ready to run him over if he messed up his timing. Bass leapt high and far into the air and shot his hook at the one above. The world seemed to slow down as he waited for the line to secure, tumbling towards the lava below. His hook grappled on and the line pulled him upward, away from the boulders and the fires under him. He swung himself high and around to kick the floating duplicate, making her evaporate into static. Shirina was incredibly annoyed. She knew she was more powerful than him, but he was winning this battle. He was using every possible strength he had and played her like a fiddle. She began to float towards the central control center, guessing he had to eventually end up there. What she didn't expect was Bass tackling her from above, making them both tumble onto the platform below.

They both rose from their fall, weary and tired. They stared at each other for what seemed an eternity ; neither one making a first move. The fires burst and roared in the background, mirroring their rising anger. He finally pointed the grappling hook gun at her, but she warped to his side and knocked it out of his hand. It spun towards the edge, almost falling into the magma. He ran to grab it, but she warped in-front of him and swiped at his feet, knocking him down. Bass was still determined to reach his gun; he rolled away from her and got up to make a lunge for the weapon. She rolled her eyes and used the minor telekinetic powers the Phantom Ruby granted her to toss him to the side. He groaned in pain as she kicked the grapple into the raging fires below. She smirked, yelling out to him, "You lost! You can't beat me at a one-on-one battle."

He sluggishly rose to his feet, giving a tired smile, "That may be true. But I'm not going down just yet~" He tried to rush her, but she countered by distorting to the side and roundhouse kicking him. He moaned as he lied on the ground, the wind being knocked out of him. Shirina cried in frustration, "Please, Bass stop. I don't want to keep fighting you. This is the last thing I wanted."

He got up again, and sneered, "Like I said, I'm going to save you. Even if it means saving you from yourself."

She looked at him, disheartened, "Then I'll do what I must." She began to summon small pointed ruby spears and flung them at him. He was able to dodge most of them, but he was grazed by a few. Bass was keeping a lid on his temper because he really didn't want to hurt her, but he was starting to lose it. He growled and rushed at her once more much to her disappointment. "Really, again?" She warped to his left, was going to counter with a punch to his stomach. But he anticipated she'd use that trick again and side-stepped at the last section. She was caught off guard; this gave him the perfect chance. He grabbed her arm and used it to pull her close to him.

He wrapped his arms around her waist, "Time to bring you home!" he roared.

"**I AM HOME!**" she shrieked. She warped out of his grasp and with all of her might, to put some distance between them, punched him hard in the face. She stepped back massaging her hand from the impact. She was glaring at him, until he finally lowered his head again. Her gaze softened as she saw all the damage this battle had done to him. His clothes were severely torn, and that last hit broke his glasses. The nose rim was cracked and busted; one of his lenses shattered, revealing his emerald colored eye. Bass wiped his mouth with his gloved hand and looked at the crimson substance left on it; he was bleeding. "Oh Chaos…Bass, I'm so sorry," Shirina's tone became filled with regret and remorse.

Sadly, her pleads of forgiveness went unanswered. Bass's rage finally reached a breaking point. 'All of this was for **you. **I did **everything **for you. And you made me **bleed**.' He was seething in his fury; anger clouded every thought. He took a long, good look at Shirina, before his pupils constricted. The jester looked genuinely afraid of him, never seeing that look in his eyes before; not even when fighting Eggman or Infinite.

"B-bass?" she walked carefully towards him. He lunged at her, pinning her down. "Bass, you're scaring me!" It was useless; he could only see red. He raised one of his arms to deliver a blow, but she used her now free hand to flip him over. As he landed on his back, she hovered away from him. He came rushing at her again she summoned large blocks of crimson distortion to stop him. He plowed through the walls, hitting them with absolute ferocity. She had to keep backing up launching wave after wave of obstacles as he tore through them. "Bass, come on, snap out if it, please!" The irony was not lost on her that she now was the one coaxing him to regain his senses. He only growl and yelled in response. Shirina closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She levitated high above him and concentrated all her energy to alter the area around them into an Eggman training facility. Bass, still lost in wrath, glared at her, not minding the change in scenery. A group of Egg Pawns emerged from the walls; their clanking footsteps drawing his attention for the moment.

Shirina could only watch in sadness as she saw him; the man she loved had turned into a beast because of her. He was tearing and dismantling the illusioned Egg Pawns, screaming in agony. She sniffled a little bit before making her next move. 'I know what I have to do,' she levitated back down to the ground and let the illusion disappear, returning the zone to its original state. He twisted his body around to focus on her again. Shirina calmly walked towards him, "I'm done fighting. I caused you so much pain. I can't bear to see you like this and it's my fault. I don't care about you staying with me in the Empire anymore; I just want you to be happy."

He lumbered emotionlessly towards her. He kept his gaze on her, expression unchanging. He lifted his hand, placed it around her neck, and began to squeeze. "Ngh!" she began to squirm in his grasp. She was gasping for air; she struggled against him. Bass wouldn't be phased as he watched her wriggle. She barely choked out, "B-Bass…you're…hurting…me…" Hearing her voice in such despair and ache woke him from his frenzied trance. His pupils dilated back to normal, life returning to them. He instantly let go of her and took several steps back away from her.

Shirina was on all fours, coughing and wheezing. Bass cried seeing what he did to her. In his ire, he became a monster. He hurt the one person he cared about the most. 'I failed her again,' that single thought rang. He couldn't face her, how could he? He began to run away from her when he felt something embrace him.

He felt her arms wrap around his torso, holding him close. "Please," she croaked out, voice still sore, "Don't leave me."

Bass stood stiff; after all of this, she wanted him to be with her. He gazed into the distance; the lava and fire of the zone roaring beside them. 'I don't deserve her. Why? Why on Earth would she still want me?' He felt her arms squeeze him tighter around him. He was now faced with two choices; both of them reaching a point of no return. But he realized he already chosen a path when he went to look for her alone. 'I brainwashed my commander, betrayed the trust of my friends, and injured my dearest one the most. I've already stepped into Hell. I might as well go all in if it means she'll be with me.' He twisted slightly in her hug, shifting his position to wrap his own arms around her. He pressed his head against hers and softly whispered, "Ok, I'll stay."

* * *

The ride to the outpost in the northern region was relatively easy-going. The Egg Cruiser was on autopilot, allowing the pair to relax a little. Shirina was asleep in her seat, snoring and honking softly. Bass, however, was restless. He had some comfort in knowing he'd be able to make her happy with this decision, but he was leaving an entire life behind. They soon landed in the docking area in the back; the ship parking itself in the hangar as to not be seen. Sensing they made it "home," the red hedgehog woke up his partner. "Shirina, we're here."

She yawned and stretched, her voice still a little sore from the fight, "Alright, let's see our boss~" Shirina guided him off the cruiser and through the halls of the complex.

Bass whistled to himself, 'Man, gotta hand it to Eggman, he really knows how to keep a place in tip-top shape.' Shirina continued to lead him through the shiny, neon lit halls until they came upon a large room near the center of the structure: it was the main control room. Shirina scanned her hand to allow access as the door opened up.

"After you~" she gestured towards the door, making Bass walk in before her. As he entered the room, the Mad Doctor in control of the outpost swiveled around in his chair to greet them. One leg was crossed on top of the other, his hands pressed together.

"Ah, Bass, nice to see you! I take it Shirina's mission went well in convincing you to join us? ~" the man grinned.

Bass looked at the jester who bowed respectfully at the large ovoid man. He turned to the older mustachioed man and kneeled, "Eggman, I humbly request you let me join your empire. I really don't have much anymore, I threw that all away for Shirina. So as long as she's content and treated well in your service, I'll submit to your rule."

Eggman stroked his moustache for a few moments before letting out his signature laugh, "Ohohoho~ Don't you worry, my young promising new candidate. I treat all generals and high-ranking officials in my empire with the upmost respect. She couldn't be in better hands~" He got up from his hefty white chair and strolled towards the pair. "Besides, if what Shirina and my intel says is correct, you'll be more than a worthy addition to my cause. You're a bit of a mechanic, aren't you?"

Bass nodded in response, "Yes, I am."

"Good," Eggman grinned, "Now, I'd love to hear some of the projects you were working on."

Letting his ego get a bit of a much deserved boost, Bass chuckled and revealed the details of his last project. "Well you see, by reverse engineering those codes and commands you install on those droids, I was able to modify a Wipson. It ran on soundwaves, using music as its power source."

"So what you're saying is you made a hypnotic sound canon?" the Doctor asked, sounding very enthusiastic.

"In simple terms, yeah, pretty much," Bass smirked, pleased he managed to impress the man.

"Well, then, let me offer you the high ranking position of being my Research and Development head. While you'll be working with my tech and my designs mostly, I need someone capable to make sure everything runs smoothly. And you'll be able to work on your own projects as well~ What do you say?~" the tall scientist beamed deviously as he offered his hand.

Bass stood up and looked towards Shirina; she gave a small nod of approval with the happiest smile he'd seen on her in ages. He returned his focus to Eggman and shook his hand, "Deal."

* * *

Much like Shirina before him, the next few days were a bit of a haze for Bass. The doctor sent him to the med-bay in order to heal his injuries from the battle he had with the jester. Once in decent enough condition, he subjected Bass to the same minor mind control adjustment; loyalty and servitude programs instilled into his mind. Shirina was extremely giddy and excited when she found out she'd be sharing her quarters with him. Apparently Eggman decided it'd be a good way to boost morale. As he slept in the shared large room, Shirina and Eggman decided to design Bass's new uniform, as a welcoming gift. Although, the tyrant scientist did work on something a little extra for the newest recruit.

He moaned lightly as he finally awoke. He rubbed his emerald eyes; this being the longest he had gone without some kind of glasses covering them up. He surveyed the large room and noticed that Shirina already made herself at home with a few of her favorite things on her half of the room. He chuckled as his eyes lied upon a large present in the middle, wrapped up in paper that bore the Empire's insignia. He gently got up from bed and leisurely strolled to the box. He saw there was a note attached and read it, "Master and I thought you needed some new clothes after I kinda ruined your old ones. Sorry. -Shirina" He snickered to himself as he thought about her. If he had any doubts before, they were all silenced by the love she had for him and the respect his newest Master had for him.

'Funny, if someone told me a few days ago that I'd be the newest R&D lead for Master Eggman, I'd call 'em crazy. Guess I'm the crazy one now~' he opened the box and stood amazed at what he saw inside. Bass took out the uniform and tried began to dress himself in it. He had to admit, this was a **very** good look for him. His uniform for the most part was fashioned very similar to Shirina's. His overcoat was that same shade of light burgundy. The difference was that while Shirina's coat tail ends alternated with yellow, his coat stayed the same all throughout. He was also fashioned with the yellow section that covered his midriff to chest area where it buttoned up. Matching yellow cuffs to match along with epaulettes adorning the shoulders as well. The white collar perfectly complimented his white gloves. Unlike Shirina's outfit, instead of a black bowtie, he wore a normal black tie. He wore nice black slick pants and boots that were almost a replica of the doctor's. He then put on two accessories to complete his look. The first one, a light burgundy general's hat that proudly displayed the golden emblem of the Egg Empire. The second, a large golden yellow conductor's baton, with the icon of the Empire at the top decorating it.

Bass felt rather powerful in his new suit. He started to pick up the box to place it on his bed when he noticed a black case in there. 'Odd,' he thought, 'must've been under the clothes.' He dug it out and opened it and inside where a new pair of glasses.

Attached was another note, "Bass, if you're going to be experimenting with hypno-tech and need something to help that temper (the jester told me) you might want to try these on. State of the art Hypno Shades. There's a decent amount of control you can fiddle around with the settings and intensities once you get more time to get accustomed to them. But for now, the standard is a two-way low-level spiral made to soothe both the wearer and the person gazing into your eyes. Have fun – Lord Eggman". He took a look at the Hypno-Shades, they had black lenses but had that same shade of light burgundy for the rim color. He wore them and turned them on; a nice subtle spiral appeared in his field of vision. To an external party, such as a person talking to him, they'd see bright red L.E.D. "eyes" with spiral irises that mimicked his actual eyes. He was totally in love with his new look and had to thank his Master and Shirina personally.

Bass strolled around the complex until he got to the main control room. He knocked on the door before scanning his hand to open it. "Come in, but make it quick," the scientist's voice called in from the room.

Bass just laughed and nodded as he entered the room. "So Master, what do you think? ~" he posed and flaunted a bit.

Eggman let out an approving chuckle, "Well you certainly look the part! I do hope the glasses are to your liking~"

"You kidding Master? They're perfect~"

The older man grinned, "Wonderful to hear! Since you're finally up and about, we can start planning and working on things after lunch."

"Sounds like a plan to me," he bowed respectfully.

"Oh and she's in the field out by the main entrance. She'll be delighted to see your new outfit."

"Thank you, Master. I'll report for duty soon," Bass saluted before heading outside to meet her. And true to his word, she in a patch of flowers in the field, albeit dozing off slightly. He giggled before heading over to gently wake her. He crouched down and gently nudged her shoulder, "Shirina, it's not fair that when I'm finally awake, you're the one asleep~"

She instantly jumped to her feet hearing his voice. She spun around to take a good look at his ensemble. She whistled, "Gotta say, you look amazing~"

He put his arms around her and pulled her into a hug, "Well that's cause you helped design it~"

She blushed as he stared into his glasses, "H-heh, nice shades~"

"Gift from our Lord and Master," he smirked. They both stood still as they gazed lovingly at one another.

She finally broke the silence, "I-I'm sorry, about-"

"Shirina, don't be. I'm sorry too. We both kinda went too far." She sadly nodded and rested her head against him. "But, thanks to that, we're finally, properly together. Like we always wanted right?"

"Right~" she beamed and honked softly, nuzzling against him.

"And now, I can finally say what's been on my mind for so long."

"Oh?" she lifted her head to meet his gaze.

"I love you," he caressed her cheek as he leaned in to kiss her. Shirina practically bursted with joy as she leaned into the kiss well, deepening it. They broke apart for air, but still held each other close in their arms. 'I have no idea what the future holds,' he thought as he snuggled his head against hers, 'But as long as I have you, I'll be ready to face anything.'


	3. Act III: Ruby's Resurgence

"_Mom, please, I don't want to go!"_

_"I'm sorry honey," the older fox kissed her daughter's forehead, "But you're our only hope."_

A light blue fox girl jolted up in her bed. She sighed: the memory still haunted her. The young woman laid back in her current "room": a capsule pod ship. It was a large white sphere adorned with bright blue and green neon lights. The interior was comfortable, despite its smaller size. It housed a fluffy soft bed, a small fridge with food supplements, and a desk with buttons on it that doubled as the ship's main controls. White and gray were the primary colors decorating the pod's interior; to match its futuristic exterior. She grumbled to herself as she got out of bed, stretching slightly. She clicked a few buttons on the door's control pad to open and stepped out.

She inhaled deeply and got a good deep breath of the air; it felt crisper, cleaner, easier to take in. Her tail swished, taking in the new environment. She used her hearing to focus in on any noises, trying to pick up if there was any activity nearby: all she heard were the sounds of nature and frogs croaking in the distance. 'Well, I'm already lost, great. It won't do my mission any good if I just stand here in this forest and wait for someone to help,' she mused. She went back inside the ship to grab water and some ration bars. She flipped on the ship's tracking beacon and synced its signal to her data pad. After making sure it was secured and locked, she bolted towards the forest.

Running through lush green grass and swamp lands was a fresh experience for her, but she was loving every single second of it. She kept giggling and grinning as her zipped by. Having so many different scents, textures and sounds painted a whole new world for her. 'If only you were here to see this,' she thought bittersweetly. The light blue fox gracefully trotted along; jumping across the trees and grinding on vines. While she was covering a lot of ground, her ears picked up noise coming from the west. They twitched in response as she focused in on what it was, "Yeah, I guess there really isn't much out here." Her eyes widened: there was someone else here. She followed the sound of this mystery person's voice, "I mean, what were we expecting to find at the Frog Forest?"

'His tone is a little more serious,' she slowed her pace to cautiously walk towards him. She used the foliage and shadow of the plant life to give her some camouflage.

"Hey, uh, Charmy, I'll call you back," the sound of a com-link powering off was heard. From his metal wrist guards, he summoned a kunai. "Alright, whoever you are, come out in the open. I know you're watching me, so a surprise attack won't work."

'Damn it,' she mentally cursed herself. 'I mean he just knows I'm around, but I can still get the jump on him~' She chuckled to herself, enjoying the thrill of the hunt. It had been a while since she's gotten into a good fight. 'But,' she began to reason, 'Do I really want my first encounter to be a fight? I haven't made any allies yet.' She rolled her eyes and reluctantly stepped out of the foliage; her hands up defensively. "Ok, I mean you no harm, I'm just lost."

The purple chameleon looked at the light blue fox and noticed her unusual outfit. She wore a sleeveless one-piece grey suit, with the lower part forming a bit of a cape skirt. Light green highlights accented the ensemble. The chest area of the outfit had a small window; giving a bit of a tease. She also had long gray gloves thick gray boots that had heels. Light green markings match the outfits; her gloves had the same shade of green on the arm cuff. The markings complimented the brighter shade of green she used in her eyeshadow and natural eye color. The chameleon, in his ninjutsu gear, stowed his kunai back into his wrist guards, "Who are you?"

The fox gave a respectful curtsy to him, "I'm Oracle."

* * *

"_If I go…is there a chance I can get back home?"_

_"No Oracle," her mother sadly smiled, "If you prove successful in saving us, this timeline will be erased. Even if I end up existing in the altered future, I'd be a different person sweetie."_

_Oracle started to tear up and held her mom close. "Will I then disappear?"_

_The older woman ran her fingers through her daughter's hair, "No. Once you leave our time, you'll be free from the chain of events that will rewrite it. You'll be fine my sweetheart."_

_Oracle cried harder and hugged tighter. "So, I-I guess I won't see you anymore."_

_"Goodbye, Oracle."  
_

A hand gently shook her awake, "Oracle, we're here."

She sluggishly opened her eyes and turned her head towards the person who woke her. "Ah, thank you. Sorry, seems I'm more tired than usual."

The purple chameleon nodded, "It's fine really. But I'm wondering what you were doing back there."

She tensed up, not wanting to reveal to her true mission just yet. She coughed, "I uh, crashed my ship in the forest by accident. Was trying to do a test run on the new engine. Turns out, it didn't really pan out well."

"Well, you remind me of this other fox I know," he chuckled.

"Oh?" she tilted her head.

"Yes, Tails, our main mechanic. Always into experimenting and field testing."

"Ah," she stayed silent for a few moments. She noticed the modest but comfortable interior of the train they were in. Large windows allowed for ample sunlight to come through. "Sorry, may I ask your name?"

"Espio."

"Well Espio," she smiled softly, "thank you for helping me out."

"It's no issue at all. I was doing a routine patrol mission. Been a while since I checked the zone."

"Ah, so you're part of the Resistance?" she tilted her head.

"Well yes. Me and the Chaotix were leading officers. You didn't know?"

Oracle froze a little; she only heard of tales and stories of the War Against the Egg Empire. The finer details were lost on her, but she couldn't let her cover be blown now. "I uh, well, my home's on outskirts of the planet. So, while we were affected by his takeover, we didn't know much about the specifics."

"I see. Well, pleased to meet you in that case," he offers her his hand; she gladly shakes it.

"Where we heading anyway?"

"Oh, back to Headquarters. I figured that you could talk to someone there and help you out."

She nods and thinks to herself, 'I need to talk to their leader. He may be my last hope.'

* * *

Oracle waved goodbye to Espio and headed into the base. She greeted and waved to the soldiers walking around. After wandering the halls for about half an hour, she furrowed her brow. 'Great, I'm lost. I really should've asked for directions.'

"Hey, uh Miss, everything ok?" a young cheerful voice broke her thoughts.

She turned to the voice and chuckled at the young flying bee, "Oh, sorry. I'm just a little lost. I was hoping to get a word in with the commander."

"Oh, sure! I'd be happy to guide ya around!" he grinned.

She followed the younger boy who buzzed around, "I'm Oracle, nice to meet you."

"Charmy, nice to meet ya too!" he beamed, leading her to the main office.

"Oh, so you're Charmy. Espio mentioned you on the train ride over."

"Oh you know my teammate? That's cool! Yeah, we're both really close," he giggled as they both made their way. Charmy knocked on the door frame, the door itself already open. "Hey boss, someone wants to see ya!" The chair would swivel around and a pink hedgehog in a red sundress would stand from it.

She walked towards the pair, "Thanks Charmy," she smiled, "You're free to go back to business." The bee nods and waves goodbye before buzzing off to other parts of the complex. The pink hedgehog offers her hand to Oracle, "Hi, Amy Rose, current leader of the Resistance. What can I do ya for?"

Oracle slowly shook it but was a little shocked. "Not to be rude, but, where's Knuckles? I thought he was still active leader of the army."

"Oh, Knuckles returned to Angel Island. He said his work here with the rebellion was done for now. Eggman's no longer an active threat so he went back to guard the Master Emerald," Amy explained.

'Oh, this...isn't how I expected things to be. I doubt Amy's a bad leader, but I need the Echidna's strength and ability to rally the people,' she pondered. "Oh, well, glad to meet you Ms. Rose."

"Amy is just fine with me. But yeah, any concerns about the Resistance are now my duty."

"Well, the thing is, my concern isn't exactly about the Resistance per say," she partially fibbed, "it has to do with the Emeralds."

"Oh, so that's why you asked for Knuckles."

Oracle nodded and smiled, "Yes, nothing personal. I'm sure you're doing a fantastic job, but I need some of his guidance. I think I found one of them."

Amy's eyes go wide, "You found an Emerald? That's great news. We could really use a good luck charm right now."

"Oh, how so?"

"Wow, you're really out of the loop," she sighs, "We lost our Rookies. It's been months since we've last seen them." Oracle stood shocked. She knew the famed talented young recruits went missing her timeline; she just hoped she would've arrived at an earlier point in time. Amy shook her head sadly, "I've sent a few search parties but, the trails getting cold. We've been getting less leads and we're also fending off Badnik attacks."

"Badnik attacks? Wait, is the Doctor back?" Oracle concerningly asked.

"We don't know. There have been rumors that Eggman's returned, but all our scouting missions have come back negative. Also, these attacks are chaotic, disorganized; it doesn't seem like his style." Oracle mulled Amy's words for a few moments; she arrived at a very critical moment. Something big was coming, she could feel it. "So, yeah, hearing news about finding a Chaos Emerald is fantastic!"

"I haven't found it's exact location. You see I get, these kinds of visions. When there's something important or something really dangerous, I can glance into the future," the fox explained in a half truth. 'I can actually only do it when there's something dangerous, but I got to talk to Knuckles.' Amy looked at her a little skeptically; Oracle further elaborated. "It's not something I can really activate on command. It's sort of a sixth sense when it's a super critical moment."

The pink hedgehog relaxed a little, "Well, crazier things have happened. It's not too far-fetched." She got lost in her thoughts for a few moments, "You sure about this?"

"Positive."

"Alright," Amy took out a blue com-link device, "I'll call Knuckles and let him know you're coming. I'll have one of our crew escort you to the island."

The fox girl smiled widely and bowed respectfully, "Thank you Amy~"

* * *

"_Focus," an older male voice called out to her, "Your visions are a gift. Channel your energy and mind to get a glimpse of that small pocket of time." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath; everything was still and calm. "The future by its nature is ever changing. Even what we can see in our revelations, is only one of possible outcomes. You can sense destiny's pull, but it's our choice to act on it. Can you feel it, Oracle?"_

_"Yes," she spoke in an even quiet tone._

_"Good. Now prepare yourself!" the older male, who was an older fox in a darker blue fur color, rushed at her with a battle spear. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as a blue tinted image of his attack played before her eyes. Her irises turned blue while she viewed the vision; he was going to come at her from the left side. She began to pivot to the right to counter as time regained its normal speed. He went striker her, but she quickly countered by elbowing him in the stomach: knocking the air out of him. While he was in a stunned state, she grabbed his arm and flipped him towards the ground. He groaned but had a prideful smile on. "That was excellent," he gradually picked himself up from the floor, "With enough training, you won't even need to focus that hard to activate it. You'll be a fine warrior yet, Oracle~"_

_She grinned cheerfully and rushed to hug him, "Thank you, Dad~"_

"We're approaching Angel Island, miss. Please make sure you're buckled in safely before we touched down," the male pilot's voice broke through her thoughts.

"Thank you," she called out to him as she fastened her belt. The blue and gray transport ship was small, only built enough to carry 4 passengers plus the pilot and co-pilot, but it was enough for a simple mission like this. 'Besides, it's even roomier when there's only two of us here.' The ship touched down on a nice open field about a mile away from the famed Emerald Altar. The pair strolled out of the ship; the beautiful tropical island in the sky looked as immaculate as ever. "You can stay here and guard the ship if you wish. I promise I won't take long."

The male Resistance soldier blinked at her. "Uh, miss, I don't want to be rude, but it is my duty to escort you."

"And you've escorted me well. I can move faster on my own and my conversation with Knuckles shouldn't take long if all goes well."

He bit his lip and rolled his eyes; he reluctantly agreed. "Alright fine, but there, take this," he tossed her a yellow com-link. "Don't hesitate to call out for help if things go south."

"Will do~" she snickered and saluted before dashing off into the tropical area. Much like the forest from before, Angel Island's environment was an absolute blast to blaze through. She beamed cheerfully as she jumped over the grassy platforms and terrain. After rushing through hoops, loops and corkscrews, she made her way to the entrance of the Altar Emerald Zone. Oracle made her way up the marble ruins and large set of steps to the shrine were the Master Emerald was currently residing. As she reached the top, she immediately felt the energy radiating off the large green gemstone. She stood in awe at the beauty and serenity she felt at the altar.

"So, I assume you're the one who wanted to meet with me." Her head turned to meet a smug red echidna.

She smiled and nodded, giving a polite curtsey, "Hello, I'm Oracle and I've been eagerly awaiting this meeting, Knuckles."

"Well, no need to be so formal. But I gotta admit, being treated with honor like this is kinda cool," he chuckled. "So, I heard you needed intel on the Emeralds. Well, as Guardian and Master Treasure Hunter, I'll happily be your guide~"

"Uhm, you see," Oracle began, "I lied about the Emerald. I just needed an excuse to talk to you."

"Oh, in that case, we have nothing to talk about," he began to walk away.

"No, wait please! It's about the future!"

He paused and rotated around to look at her again, "I'm listening…"

"Oh thank Light Gaia," she huffed out in relief. "I don't know if you'd believe me, but I come from the future."

"Oh, so you're from Silver's time?"

"I don't know Silver, personally at least. He's not from my timeline," she explained. "But I fear mine was far worse."

"Worse than Silver's? Just how many bad futures are there?!"

"Many. The future is always changing and not always set in stone. So, I'm here to prevent my timeline from happening."

"Let's put that plan in motion then! What do you need me to do?"

"I need you to set up an empire."

Knuckles was floored by her suggestion. "Excuse me, what?! If you hadn't noticed, I led a rebellion **against **an empire."

"I know, but you're a natural born leader. And you're the last rightful heir of the Echidnas. The people will rally with you if you chose to rise up."

"Rise up? There's nothing to rise up against. We're in a time of peace; we're rebuilding things," he countered.

"That's true, but in my future it's the lack of having a strong army or one consolidated force that begins our downfall."

"What exactly happened in your future?"

She took a deep breath, "It all began with Eggman Nega's return. The madman broke out the dimensional prison. Turns out when Sonic, Silver, you, and the rest of your friends locked him away in the Chaotic Inferno Zone, it linked to my timeline. Once he broke free, he found himself in a time not his own; but the years trapped in a blazing hellscape only fueled his rage." Her head hung low, recounting the details she heard from her elders. "Driven mad by the fact he could no longer rule his own world, he sought to plunge mine in destruction and ruin. He unleashed Ifrit onto the world, plummeting the Earth into chaos; consumed by the fire inferno of the mad god." Knuckles grimaced at the bleak future ahead. "The resulting destruction of the planet awakened Dark Gaia from its slumber, spreading its influence and monsters across the lands."

"Dark Gaia awoke?! Well there has to be hope, right? What about Chip and **our **descendants?"

"Chip could stand toe to toe with Dark Gaia, but with the combined wrath of Ifrit, he was slain. The world spiraled into darkness and despair. As for your descendants? They're the reason why we need to build an empire, or something strong and uniformed. Everyone was so spread out and disconnected from each other. They were easy to take out and by the time they had to band together, it was too late: the battle was lost."

"That's, awfully heavy stuff. And now we know what to plan ahead for, but we **can't **become an empire."

"Why not?!" the fox girl screamed, "Don't you see we need to at least start the foundations for it now if we're to stand a chance?! Even if it's centuries away for you now, we need to start action in this very moment."

"I agree there, but we can't become the thing we've fought against. If we give up on ideals and beliefs to win a battle, then we lose ourselves. My clan died because of the fact they wanted to become a power domain for peace. What happened instead is that they became hungry for power and released the literal God of Destruction: Chaos." His temper began to rise as he turned his back to her, "Their so-called trump card backfired hard and nearly annihilated the entire population. If Tikal hadn't sealed him away, we probably wouldn't even exist right now." He shook his head, "That's my legacy. It's my burden to bear: I'm the reminder of what happens when good intentions go unchecked. So, I'll be willing to help, but I'll have no part in whatever kingdom you have planned."

Oracle couldn't believe it; she abandoned her home, her family, her life, to restore the future. But not it seems her last hope of doing so was in reality a fool's errand. She growled, "I'm sorry Knuckles, I don't mean to fight you, but you **will** see things my way." She got into a fighting stance.

The red echidna smirked, "Well, I've been aching for a good fight. Just remember, you asked for this." He readied himself and brought up his fists. A tense silence echoed throughout the altar; neither one making the first move. Suddenly, Oracle dashed and lunged forward. She was ready to rush him. Knuckles was surprised at her speed; he barely dodged out of the way. He revved up a Spin Dash and launched himself at her. She got hit by his assault and stumbled backwards. He uncurled from the ball form to glide at her; fists ready to land another blow. Using her speed to her advantage, she slid under him and preformed an upward Spin Roll. This knocked Knuckles out of his glide and onto the floor. She was ready to attack him with a Spin Dash of her own. Seeing this, he tunneled into one of the small patches of grass beneath them.

'Come out, come out, wherever you are~' she mentally teased. A vision hit her: it showed how he was going to grab her by the legs and trip her. She quickly jumped out of the way; Knuckles was confused at how she was able to anticipate the attack. She put all her weight into the soles of her feet in the air and Stomped down **hard**. Knuckles was left in a daze from the impact. Oracle sneered and got a little cocky; she lifted him up from the ground by his chest fur. She was starting to wind-up a punch to fully incapacitate him when she got another image. Knuckles was going to snap out of it and pummel her with an onslaught. She barely had time to let go of him; she could only cross her arms in protection when the barrage of hits began. Knuckles was unrelenting in his assault against her, and eventually overpowered the fox girl. In a desperate final move, she tried to leg sweep him to off balance the echidna. Knuckles stumble to the side slightly but kept his ground and gave a powerful uppercut to the girl, knocking her out.

* * *

_The fiery ruined ashes of the city were starting to be overrun with Nightmares, Titans, and Dark Masters: the pawns of Dark Gaia. They were wreaking havoc and slaughtering many of the survivors. The foul creatures of despair were closing in on the small community. Oracle's father stood tall, proud, with most of the warriors. Oracle sprinted to hold him dearly. "Please, dad, don't do this. Mom needs you. __**I **__need you."_

_He returned the embrace and kneeled slightly to look her in the eyes. "I know, and…it's the toughest choice I've had to make. But what I'm doing here, is for both of you. You both are strong, wonderful women and the absolute joys of my life in this world. I love you dearly my little sweetheart. And that is why I'm happily buying you two more time."_

_The monsters roared as the hoard of them came closer. Oracle's mother gave a kiss goodbye and a very deep long hug. They silently nodded towards each other; she grabbed her daughter's hand. "It's time to go, honey." The younger girl began to cry and tried to pry herself from her mother's grasp to no avail. _

"_No! Mom, please! I don't want to go! We can't leave him behind!" She reached her free hand out towards her father as she was dragged off. He gave a tearful smile before preparing himself, ready to take on the hoard of enemies. "No, please! Dad!"_

She awoke from her memory, feeling a little sore. Her head ached as she took in her surroundings; she was in an unfamiliar room. But from the small details she could gather, she was in an infirmary. "You really should've known better than to get into a fight with Knuckles."

She turned her head towards the familiar voice, "I'm sorry Amy. I let my temper get the better of me."

The hedgehog sighed, "Look, he's at least apologized for his actions and brought you back to HQ personally. But, I gotta ask, why? Why did you lie? Did you really think this plan would work?"

Oracle's ears drooped slightly, "My future is filled with chaos and destruction. I…figured some semblance of order would be the key to save the future."

"You may have a point there, but a ruling domain that controls everything else isn't the answer."

The blue fox girl sat quietly for a few moments. "Then I'll stop the source itself."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm going after Eggman."

"Ok, slow down there. While we're getting intel on possible leads, he hasn't resurfaced. At best we've found older bots trying to start something, but we promptly shut them down."

A few more minutes of silence passed, "Can you help me then? Give any information on how to locate him?"

Amy crossed her arms and debated internally for a second. She reluctantly said, "Well, it wouldn't be fair to you if you came across time and everything was for nothing. I'll give you the intel we've gathered so far. But should you find him," she handed her a yellow-com device, "please contact us. If he's out there, we need to bring him to justice."

Oracle pocketed the small com-link, "Thank you."

* * *

Over the next few days, Oracle planned a course of action. Using the sources Amy provided her, she was able to pinpoint the most likely locations the doctor was in. She was granted use of a speed-bike for her mission, which helped her locate the facilities. She checked both the abandoned Techno Base and Iron Jungle Zones first, being the closest ones to her the Resistance HQ. However, they both turned up negative with any information or having a clue to where the Doctor himself was. She still pressed on and made her way to an area north of South Island: Sunset Park Zone. When she finally arrived, the ruined, almost dystopian nature of the deserted transport plant sent shivers down her spine; it reminded her a little too much of home. The fox cautiously got off her bike and made her way to the old train stations.

A few hours had gone by; she had been checking the outer stations and came up with nothing. Frustrated, she went to check the main central station. 'There better be something good here,' she whined mentally. She sped through the tracks, loops, and byways; the rusted metal clanked under her feet. She headed into the large metallic structure and came to an abrupt hall. She heard noises from the lower floors below. She carefully tip-toed down the stairs as she heard the commotion getting louder. She hid behind a few old metallic crates and focused her listening; she could hear two people talking.

"I wonder why the boss sent us here anyway. There isn't much around here except for scrap metal," a slightly annoyed male voice complained.

"Because hun," a more upbeat feminine voice chuckled, "there are some old files in the computer here that can be really useful. Besides, scrap metal can be useful~" She let out a playful honk.

'Old files huh?' she mused as she crouched lower and crawled to listen more intently.

"Augh," he groaned, "I know we mustn't upset Master, but there are a million things I'd rather be doing right now. There's my current projects, that new song I'm composing, or…" Oracle heard him walk over to her, "…loving you~" He kissed her cheek.

"Oh my~" she laughed with a hint of sultriness in her tone, "Well, when we get back home, we're gonna have **a lot **of personal time, Bass~"

Oracle's eyes went wide, 'Bass?! He's one of the rookies that disappeared. No, this is all wrong!'

"You're too good for me sometimes Shirina~" he grinned before stepping away.

Shirina's name being revealed bewildered the fox girl's thoughts. 'N-no! The rookies disappeared in my timeline! They didn't become pawns of the Egg Empire!' In her rush and surprise, she began to turn and run; only to crash into an old tool set. The two hedgehogs whipped their heads around to the loud noise. Oracle scrambled to her feet as the pink hedgehog's eyes began to glow crimson. The boxes and crates around her began to float and have a red aura around them. Shirina controlled them and tossed them to the side. The two were now in the open, dressed in their Egg General uniforms. They wore a matching pair of light burgundy outfits with yellow accents to highlight and adorn the suits. They were themed however; hers was in a jester motif and his was in a band conductor's uniform.

"Well, what do we have here? ~" Shirina giggled.

"Looks like someone eavesdropping on us ~" Bass chimed in. Oracle backed and braced herself against the wall.

"Well looks like I'm going to have to bring out the big guns~" the jester cackled as she used her powers to augment her form, turning herself into a giant, stronger form that made her reach the second floor. Oracle just stared straight forward, unfazed by the transformation. "Huh, odd. Orbot and Cubot usually run terrified when they see me like this." She let the illusion fade and revert to her normal form.

"Let me try something~ Now, just hold still~" the mad musician laughed wickedly as he dug out something from his suit.

"Hold still, what do you-" before she had time to react, her mind still unfocused, she felt something placed on her face. She blinked a few times before realizing they were thick shades.

"Just relax and watch the spirals~" he pressed a button one of its legs; the glasses activated. Spirals began to play in front of her, but again, seemed rather nonchalant and simply shrugged.

"Uh, thanks for the goggles?" the fox asked confusingly. She started to inch slowly towards the stairs.

"This doesn't make sense!" He ran a hand through his spiky hair, "Shirina's illusions and my spirals should affect anyone who's sees them! That's-" he paused, the realization hitting him like a truck. "-blind," he whispered to himself. Oracle froze as he stated the truth clearer and louder, "You're blind."

* * *

Shirina let the revelation sink in. "Oh, that makes a lot of sense. But then, how are ya able to sneak around and stuff?" she tilted her head.

"I can only assume that her other senses are heightened to compensate for the lack of actual eyesight. Please, correct me if I'm wrong~" he sneered with a cocky tone.

'Damn it,' Oracle cursed mentally, 'There went my hidden ace.'

"Well in that case," Shirina honked excitedly, "I should focus my efforts to effect all your other senses~"

"Oh that sounds wonderful dear. In fact," Bass pulled out a smaller version of his hypnotic sound cannon from the interior of his outfit, "I've been dying to test this out~" In a panic, Oracle dashed and preformed a Mini-Boost to get them out of her way. She ran down a terminal hall and felt them chasing her. She jumped onto one of the abandoned trains, hoping the higher ground would give her some cover. They both hopped on the same train as well; Shirina got a terribly wicked idea.

"Let's make some magic~" she giggled as she activated the power of the Phantom Ruby to restore the locomotive to pristine condition. The Empire themed railed vehicle begun to pick up speed; the future fox held on tight as she felt the ground beneath her move, the wind brushing against her fur, the sound of the train running along the track. She tried to adjust her senses to the new stimuli. The jester girl grinned wildly and double down on her illusions and summoned a few copies of herself to surround and taunt the girl. "Oh, what's the matter? Hedgehog got your tongue? ~" one teased. "Awh, let's not be cruel to her~" another responded. "Either way, you're coming with us~"

Oracle shut her eyes and covered her ears; this was all too much. The overloading of her senses was something she was totally unprepared for. She took a deep breath to calm herself. She had a mission to fulfill and she'll see it through the very end. She jumped and Homing Attacked one of the clones, making it vanish into red static. The other duplicates started to swarm her; she fought back valiantly.

Shirina was impressed at watching the blind fox holding her own against the doppelgängers. 'Master may have a good use for her~' she excitedly thought. The assault kept on coming from the copies, and Oracle was getting a little tired fending them all off. She was too preoccupied with fighting that she didn't notice Bass pull out his hypno sound canon. She stopped for a second; a vision was trying to warn her. But sadly, due to the interference of the illusions Shirina conjured up, she couldn't see it. For the first time in her life, Oracle was truly blind. Seeing the instant of her staying still, Bass shot his weapon at her. The soundwaves and tones from the blast proved to be super effective against her enhanced hearing. Shirina slowed down the train and dispersed her duplicates back into thin air. Oracle looked to be in a daze, but it felt oddly pleasant, comforting even.

Bass chuckled as he strolled over to her, "Now, Oracle, there's no need for fighting. In fact, I think we can help each other out~"

"Yes….help…" she sighed out. Every word he said felt so…right.

"Good, now," he blasted her again. She moaned lightly as she fell to her knees; her mind was his to control. "Here's the plan~ When you wake up, we're going to talk to Lord Eggman. He'll ask you about your mission and what you're doing here, and you'll respond honestly, is that understood?"

"Yes…"

"Perfect. And you'll have to listen to his offer. Should you actually choose it is up to you, dear~ But I think it'd be **in all our** best interests, if you accept~"

"…Accept."

Seeing that she was clearly under his influence made him feel incredibly satisfied. "Now, rest up, and don't worry, we'll take care of the hard part~" He started to sing a wonderful lullaby that soothed and comforted her as she finally dozed off.

* * *

_A bright blinding light shown through the ruined city. Oracle's Mother tried to pinpoint the source of it when she heard a loud, pained yell. She rapidly raced towards the sounds of a child in pain; her heart began to sink when she recognized the shout. She heard the wailing of her daughter come through the ruins of an old Gaia temple. "Oracle, sweetie, I'm coming!" She anxiously followed the young one's cries through the crumbling structure. The older woman finally came to a room where her daughter was curled up, sobbing. She rushed towards her side and cradled her in her arms, "Sssh, I'm here honey."_

_"Mom, I can't see," she cried harder. "I can't see!"_

_The Mother's heart broke; she gently grabbed the child's chin and tilted her gaze upwards. She shed a few tears, seeing her daughter's eyes. While still bright green, had been completely glazed over: her pupils seemingly missing. She observed the room, wondering what caused her young one to lose her eyesight. Her sight set upon an opened scroll on the floor. She began reading the text from and tossed it away about halfway through. The text she read was a Cursed Gaia manuscript. It granted the strength to use Dark Gaia's energy, but it had a terrible cost. She turned to her sobbing daughter; in a very compassionate voice, she asked, "Oracle, what happened?"_

_"I-I.." she choked out, "heard Dad's friends talk about something in a temple that could help. Said it was ultra-powerful. I made my way here and it took a long time to find it. But I did and I read from it, saying to repeat the words out loud. I felt something kinda fill me up with energy and I felt super good, then everything was getting dark Mom! Everything became black and I couldn't see! I can't see anymore!" The fox girl buried her head into her mother's embrace. She petted her daughter and held her closer. "And it hurts."_

_"What hurts sweetie?"_

_"__**Everything**__. Sounds are louder, I can smell __**everything,**__ my fur feels more sensitive, and I can like taste the air. It's so weird Mom, it's too much!" she cried again._

_The mother gently stroked the little one's back. "It's ok sweetie. Just focus on me. Everything's going to be ok. Mama's here."_

When Oracle finally came around, she found herself in a large comfortable chair. She shifted in her seat, trying to guess what room she was in. From what she could tell, she was in some sort of command center. "Oh, good, you're finally awake," an older male voice spoke. She rotated her seat around to meet the man; her stomach dropped. "Oh, come now, don't be shy. I just want to talk," the evil scientist twirled his moustache. There he was, the man who's descendant would ruin her world: Dr. Eggman. "Not much of a talker eh?" he shrugged. "Well, if you don't mind me asking, what were you doing in one of my old stations?"

"Trying to find you," she replied with a bit of bitterness in her voice.

"Well congratulations!" he laughed, "You did manage to find me. Now, what did you plan on doing once you found me?" She didn't have to answer the man, but she felt compelled to do so.

"Destroy you," she spat.

"Ohohoho! You and an entire army I fear want to do that. But why me? I don't recall ever attacking you personally. If you were part of the Resistance, you'd bring me in and arrest me. No, this runs…deeper than that."

She growled, "It's because of you my home was turned into a wasteland of despair and darkness! Your descendant ruined everything!"

"My descendant? Eggman Nega?" In response to the Doctor's question, Oracle began to explain the story of how her world fell. Eggman sat back in his chair, hands clasped together, letting this new information process.

"That's why I came here to defeat you. If I cut off the source of malice in my timeline, everything would be fixed," she sighed.

"In that case, I understand why you'd want to stop my existence. But what I told you, the last encounter I had with my future prodigy didn't exactly pan out well? In fact, he double-crossed me."

Oracle did a double take, 'Nega betrayed his ancestor?' She then asked, "Didn't he worship your ideas?"

"No, you've got the wrong Robotink I'm afraid. After various defeats by both Sonic and Blaze, he went deranged. He blamed me for being too soft, too forgiving, weakened with mercy for the enemy. He soon harbored a grudge against me, claiming that I was unworthy of the Eggman name and the legacy of the Robotnik family. That's when he uncovered the files of my grandfather, Dr. Gerald Robotnik. "

"But wasn't he a good person? At least, from the research available in my timeline."

"It seems your timeline decided to remember the man who did good work rather than the monster he became. Part of me finds comfort in that," Eggman genuinely smiled, "But I'm afraid your history left out his descent into madness." He stood up and went to one of the computer consoles and replayed the events that transpired on the Space Colony ARK. She could hear the audio tracks playing from the speakers. "Once stricken by grief over the death of Maria and forcing to freeze Shadow, he deteriorated. The once noble man transformed into a beast of revenge and hatred. He was the one who had programmed the ARK to collide with the Earth. He was also the first one with notes on how to summon Ifrit, to cause an apocalypse on the people who wronged him. Nega fueled by resentment saw potential in my Grandfather's work and became the heartless soul you knew."

The fox girl looked crestfallen, "So even if I were to terminate you here, there's a chance that he may still exist and find Gerald's plans."

"I'm afraid so."

"Then my mission was for…nothing," she wanted to cry. Tears welled up in her eyes but refused to cave in and show weakness in front of the Doctor.

"Well, I wouldn't say it's for nothing," he cracked a grin, "In fact I'd say your arrival benefits us both~" She looked towards his direction with wet, shiny eyes silently. "Don't cry, because I think you can still save your future. You see, unlike my Grandfather and Descendent, I don't want to destroy the world. No no, far from it! I want to make sure it's safe, protected, all housed under my Empire. There's so much chaos and disorder these days; it's enough to make anyone crazy! I simply want the world to live peacefully, with me as their leader. That way should any threat from the future or another mystical being should be of no concern."

Her mind raced with a thousand thoughts. This was her original plan from the start; to have a united world ready for the future battles ahead. 'But I never thought that maybe the key to preventing my world, is to rule it with the enemies of the past. Am I willing to actually go through with this?' Her brain flashed through all the events in her life: all the chaos, all the destruction, the sacrifices her family made, and the pain she felt. 'Yes. If I'm able to avert someone from a fate similar to mine, let alone the entire population, I'll become part of his regime.'

"I heard from Shirina and Bass, that you have some extraordinary abilities. Join me and become an Elite of my Empire. With your aid, we can both stop the tragedy before it unfolds." He stuck out his hand, smiling deviously.

She stood up from her chair and trudged towards him, head hung low. She took his hand and shook it. She kneeled respectfully towards him, still holding his hand. "I, Oracle of the ruined timeline, accept my allegiance and loyalty to you, Lord Eggman."

* * *

Hearing that she was blind and that she had enhanced senses from Shirina and Bass, Eggman sent Oracle to the medical bay for some routine testing. She was also debriefed on her two co-generals, on their positions and how they came to be under his command, before being sent off. As part of the testing, while Oracle was under, he implanted the same loyalty and servitude protocols into her mind; much like the two generals before her. Now seeing that he had three very powerful and talented recruits under his command, the mad scientist decided it was time to expand.

Oracle awoke in the same large shared living quarters as her two companions. She stretched and sat-up in bed. 'Funny,' thought to herself, 'I should feel more conflicted about joining this; joining the side of the old Egg Empire. But I feel, at ease. As if this was where I was supposed to be.' A knock on the door interrupted her current introspection.

"Room service~" a feminine voice giggled. The fox, in plain white sleepwear, hopped out of the bed and pressed the button to open the door. She was greeted by both the jester and the musician holding a large present.

"So, we wanted to give you this," Bass started, "as to sort of apologize for our fight earlier. Lord Eggman told us your story and well, we didn't want to end up on the wrong foot."

"So Master, Bass and I decided to all come together to give ya this. Hopefully this makes us even and we start to become friends," Shirina smiled as she handed the fox the package. Oracle was speechless; apart from her mother and father, no one really dared to show kindness or compassion towards her. She happily took the gift and put it on the table.

She wrapped her arms around the pair of them, "Thank you. I do believe we can become rather close." Both blinked in surprised at the gesture, but happily hugged her back.

"Well, we'll leave you to change into it," the pink hedgehog honked.

"We'll be right outside if you need us," the red hypnotist added as they both stepped out of the room. Oracle went to the gift and opened it up; she dug it out and felt it. The fabric was lovely and smooth to the touch, and it felt oddly familiar. She put on the uniform and it did feel almost exactly like her old outfit. Not that she could see the colors, but the new suit was simply an Egg Empire version of her usual attire. Where it used to be gray, it was now a softer red, similar to the Doctor's uniform. Where it was green before, yellow replaced it. She felt perfectly happy and content with her costume change and stepped out to meet her new comrades.

"So, w-what do you think?" she shyly asked, arms crossed behind her back.

Bass whistled, "Well, I think you look lovely~ Not that you weren't beforehand~" Her cheeks turned red at flirtatious compliments he gave her.

Shirina rolled her eyes and giggled, "I agree with Romeo over there. But something seems…missing." She peered in close at the fox's face; she suddenly clasped her hands, "Oh I know!" She rushed into the room and came back out with yellow eyeshadow. "May I?~" Oracle nodded; the jester carefully applied it. "And voilà! You're perfect~"

Her blush deepened, and she quietly said, "T-thank you both." They both chuckled and each took one of her arms.

"Come on, Master Eggman said he had something important to show us," Bass beamed. They all walked down the neon lit halls towards the main control room. There, the dictator in question was typing in some commands into the main computer. He rotated his chair slightly hearing the door open.

"I see you all are getting along rather nicely~" he bellowed his iconic laugh. All 3 of them turned a little crimson and let go of each other's arms. "Now, I've got exciting news to tell you all. Since we're getting a little crowded for this dingy old outpost, we're relocating~"

Bass raised an eyebrow, "Relocating to where? The Resistance would be altered rather soon if we made a big movement."

"Oh I have a plan for that, don't you worry," the Doctor sneered. "But that plan will come into motion slightly later. For now, we're going to Eggmanland~"

Oracle's head tilted slightly, "But, Master, isn't that in ruins at the moment?"

"Yes, it is, but with the help of the new service-bots built and with you 3, we can make enough progress to rebuild to make it properly home again; without causing too much attention." The three elites seemed to agree with the plan. "And once it's up and running proper, Shirina, you'll be the manager and in charge of the amusement park portion of the area."

The jester girl's eyes sparkled, "Oh that sounds amazing boss! Thank you for the honor!"

Oracle shifted her feet, "Master, if Bass is the R&D lead, and Shirina's the new Eggmanland manager, what will I do?"

"You'll be supporting the two of them. You'll be Bass's lead tech assistant and Shirina's junior manager," the ovoid man responded, "And if I need you for some scouting or any actual missions, you three are my main squadron. Is that fine with you all?"

"Yes!" they all smiled and kneeled.

"Splendid. Start packing, we move out in three days' time. You're all dismissed," he went back to typing on his main computer console.

The trio exited the room and Shirina wrapped her two team-mates into a hug, "We're officially a squad! ~"

Bass chuckled and returned the hug, "Well, what would do we call ourselves? The 'Egg Elites?' ~"

"While that does have a really nice ring to it," Shirina summoned the Phantom Ruby out in front of them, "I was thinking something more along the lines of…Team Ruby~"

"Team Ruby," Oracle repeated. She looked at both her companions. She felt that she truly belonged with them. She smiled wide and nodded, "I like the sound of that~"

* * *

And that's it! That's my little origin story for my main 3 Sonic OC's. I've done a few pics with them, mostly designing and putting them into holiday outfits, but I have plans for these guys in the future. Thank you so much reading and sticking until the end. It means a lot, and I plan on doing smaller writing projects (maybe even a few Ask the Cast prompts) to just let me have something busy while I work on bigger stuff on the background. Just there isn't radio silence. Anyhow, enjoy your 2020 and have a wonderful day, night, and/or year!


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